Comet Dies in New Pond: Quarantine, Temp Match & Salt Timing

6'×4'×2' pond (360 gal), 6 comets 3 weeks, 1 dead (white/yellow), no trauma. Quarantine skipped, temp match ignored, salt too early.

What Went Wrong

• No quarantine → imported disease/parasites.
• Temp mismatch → shock (even 2°F matters).
• Melafix = band-aid. Salt bath at 2 weeks? Too late for prevention.

Correct New Fish Protocol

1. Quarantine 2–4 weeks — separate tank, observe, treat if needed.
2. Float bag 20 min → drip acclimate 30–60 min.
3. Net into pond — no bag water.
4. Wait 2 weeks → then consider salt bath (0.3%) if issues arise.

White Fish Vulnerability

White/yellow comets often weaker — inbred for color. First to go = common.

Quarantine isn't optional. Temp match isn't approximate. The dead fish paid for the shortcuts.