Every fish, quarantined. No exceptions.
Livestock is our reputation. No fish reaches the sales floor - or your tank - until it has passed through a dedicated quarantine system, and no coral until it has been dipped and checked pest-free, backed by strict import screening and ongoing biosecurity monitoring. This is how we do it, and the Australian standard we hold ourselves to.
It starts at the border, long before it reaches us
Australia runs one of the strictest live-import regimes in the world. Every ornamental fish legally imported into the country is governed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) under the Biosecurity Act 2015, and must clear the conditions set out in the BICON import case for live ornamental finfish.
-
Permitted species only
Only species on Australia's permitted live-import list may enter the country. Anything not approved is refused entry - no exceptions, no grey imports.
-
Government-approved quarantine on entry
Imported fish are held in a DAFF-approved arrangement quarantine facility on arrival and inspected before they can be released to the trade.
-
Health certification & testing
Consignments travel with government health certification from the exporting country, and high-risk species (goldfish, cyprinids, gouramis and others) undergo pre-export and on-arrival testing for notifiable diseases.
-
Documented traceability
Every consignment is documented end to end. We only buy from suppliers who import lawfully under this framework, so provenance is never in doubt.
That national framework is the floor, not the ceiling. Clearing customs means a fish is legal to sell - it does not mean it is ready for your tank. That is where our own quarantine begins.
Our quarantine protocol, stage by stage
Every fish runs the same gauntlet. Marine or freshwater, common or rare - nothing skips a step.
-
1
Intake & isolation
On arrival, stock goes straight into a dedicated quarantine system that is physically separate from our display tanks - its own water, its own equipment, its own tools. Every new arrival is logged and inspected before anything else happens.
-
2
Observation & assessment
Fish are rested and watched closely for the first days for signs of stress, parasites or disease. We assess behaviour, breathing, body condition and appetite before any intervention, so treatment is targeted rather than blanket.
-
3
Screening & treatment
Under a prophylactic and observation-led regime we screen and treat for the parasites and pathogens that matter - white spot (ich), marine velvet, flukes, and bacterial infection - using proven methods such as copper therapy or hyposalinity for marine fish, and appropriate treatments for freshwater.
-
4
Conditioning & feeding
Fish are weaned onto quality prepared foods and conditioned until they are feeding confidently and holding weight. A fish that eats well in quarantine is a fish that thrives at home.
-
5
Clearance to the floor
Only once an animal is disease-free, feeding, stable and genuinely settled does it clear quarantine and move to display. If it is not ready, it stays put. No arbitrary clock overrides an animal that needs more time.
The threats we catch before you do
A single infected fish can wipe out an established display. Quarantine exists to make sure the problem never leaves our building.
White spot (Ich)
The most common killer in home aquaria. Caught and cleared under observation before an animal is ever offered for sale.
Marine velvet
Fast and devastating on reef fish. Our marine quarantine regime is built to intercept it early.
Flukes & external parasites
Gill and skin flukes are treated during quarantine so they never establish in your system.
Bacterial & fungal infection
Ulcers, fin rot and secondary infections are identified and treated before clearance, not after purchase.
If it is on our floor, it has earned its place there
We would rather hold a fish for another fortnight than sell it a day too early. That patience is the whole point: what you take home from Apex is health-checked, eating and settled - ready to thrive in your tank, not just survive the trip.
Quarantine, answered
Do I still need to quarantine at home?
Our quarantine dramatically lowers the risk, but best practice is always to quarantine new additions at home too, especially when mixing stock from multiple sources. We are happy to talk you through a simple home quarantine setup.
How long does a fish stay in quarantine?
There is no fixed number - an animal leaves quarantine when it is disease-free, feeding and settled, not when a timer runs out. Sensitive and wild-caught species often stay longer.
Are corals and inverts quarantined too?
Quarantine is for fish only. Corals are dipped and screened for pests such as flatworms and nudibranchs before they reach display, so they arrive pest-free. Invertebrates are acclimated slowly and inspected for hitchhikers on arrival - dips and quarantine would do them more harm than good.
Can I see the quarantine area?
Our quarantine system is kept separate to protect its biosecurity, so it is not a public display - but ask us anything about our process in store or over the phone and we will talk you through it.