QT/Hospital tank...But then what?

[Andy Sager]

The only problem with setting up the QT in the living room is that there isn't any more space... I could try to work out something, but it'd depend on the dimensions of the 10g tank, and ask my parent's permission...

A standard 10 gal is 20" long x 10" wide x 12" high. Add an inch to each dimension to account for different types of molding. ( None of mine are an inch larger than the dimensions I gave but just to be on the safe side. )
As for where, they make nice iron aquarium stands that have a top and bottom area for aquariums. There are also wooden style stands with 2 levels for tanks. Maybe switch to one of those and BINGO, instant tank space.

 

[missmonday]

Well, I'm hoping to work with my mom on getting a little table from Target...the only other option that we can think of would be the laundry room. We just got new washer /dryer that are nice and energy efficient and are WAY less noisy than our other ones.

We have a little table on top of both of them, and during the spin cycle I plan on putting a glass of water on top to see how much the water jostles about.

Yay or Nay?

 

[missmonday]

Well, the laundry room doesn't seem to be the best choice, I'm afraid the vibrating table top would cause too much stress for any potential QT fish

The one spot I was thinking of in the living room my dad outright rejected. And my mom doesn't want to buy a little table to rest a 10g on unless it's on clearance heh.

There is plenty of space in my room, but it is pretty dark and pretty quiet, and I agree Andy, it would be better to try to keep the tanks in the same room.

Hopefully something will work out :'c

 

[sinibotia]

Well, the laundry room doesn't seem to be the best choice, I'm afraid the vibrating table top would cause too much stress for any potential QT fish

The one spot I was thinking of in the living room my dad outright rejected. And my mom doesn't want to buy a little table to rest a 10g on unless it's on clearance heh.

There is plenty of space in my room, but it is pretty dark and pretty quiet, and I agree Andy, it would be better to try to keep the tanks in the same room.

Hopefully something will work out :'c

Double 10 gallon metal stand for $30 on drs. foster and smith! That might work.

 

[missmonday]

Well I'm the only one in the house who has a remote interest in fish, and if I put the tank anywhere else in the house other than my room, I'm liable to get yelled at for "invading everyone's space". My dad's kind of a hypocrite though because he hoards a bunch of outdated technology/electronics but my dad has the final say in everything... :/

He didn't like the 28g where it is in the living room either, but moving ~250lbs of water isn't very feasible so he kind of put up with it and now kinda likes it? He's kind of weird...

 

[sinibotia]

Well I'm the only one in the house who has a remote interest in fish, and if I put the tank anywhere else in the house other than my room, I'm liable to get yelled at for "invading everyone's space". My dad's kind of a hypocrite though because he hoards a bunch of outdated technology/electronics but my dad has the final say in everything... :/

He didn't like the 28g where it is in the living room either, but moving ~250lbs of water isn't very feasible so he kind of put up with it and now kinda likes it? He's kind of weird...

Ahhh I remember the good old days.... although my parents were supportive, they only let me put 1 tank where I wanted it and the rest were relegated to the basement or the "den" for the kiddies. But they also let me have 55 and 150 gallon tanks... Don't worry, eventually you'll end up with your own place and set up more tanks than you know what to do with. (I'm up to 8 after 2 months in my own place)

The 10 gallon double stand is prettymuch the same dimensions as a 10 gallon (about 2 inches longer) and holds 2, so tape-measure some spots and see if you can cram it in somewhere no one will mind. They're actually fairly elegant (and easy to put together!) Here's a picture of mine (double 10 and double 20):

 

[missmonday]

Those stands are really pretty! I've actually be reading your build thread!

There's plenty space for me to put a 10 gallon tank in my room, but no space if I want to put the 10 anywhere close to the 28g :'u

My room and the living room are on opposite ends of the house, so there's liable to be a slight temperature change as well. It is pretty quiet in my room, whereas the living room is subjected to my mom and my brother's singing on occasion, and as Andy pointed out a couple posts earlier, wouldn't moving a QT fish from a darker, quieter space to a brighter, louder space (though not loud all the time, I promise!) cause a lot of added stress??

Even getting a 10g stand and putting it somewhere out there would still get me yelled at :'( thankfully my boyfriend seemed interested in my new fishkeeping hobby!

 

[sinibotia]

Those stands are really pretty! I've actually be reading your build thread!

There's plenty space for me to put a 10 gallon tank in my room, but no space if I want to put the 10 anywhere close to the 28g :'u

My room and the living room are on opposite ends of the house, so there's liable to be a slight temperature change as well. It is pretty quiet in my room, whereas the living room is subjected to my mom and my brother's singing on occasion, and as Andy pointed out a couple posts earlier, wouldn't moving a QT fish from a darker, quieter space to a brighter, louder space (though not loud all the time, I promise!) cause a lot of added stress??

Even getting a 10g stand and putting it somewhere out there would still get me yelled at :'( thankfully my boyfriend seemed interested in my new fishkeeping hobby!

Well, when my wife was still living with her family, her QT tank was on a different floor than her main tank. We would just net fish out of the QT and bolt up the stairs to put them in the main tank. It would be added stress to go from darker and quieter to brighter and louder, but at the same time it's probably better to have your quarantine somewhere darker and quieter anyway because it's less stressful for the fish. Once they check out of quarantine, they'll have to adjust to the new surroundings but they'll also be healthy so they should be able to adjust better. And fish are tougher than we often give them credit for. I think it would work out ok.

Just get some kind of small, designated container (unwashed with soap and only used for fish) and use it as a transport. I use a betta cup for that. (Our betta is named Wayne and nicknamed Batfish, so we refer to the cup as the Batmobile). Net the fish into it, take them to the new tank, net them out of the container, and put them in the tank. It's worked for us every time

 

[missmonday]

Yeah, I definitely underestimated my platys... The 2 that I thought were sick at separate occasions had jumped out of the tub I was keeping them in and I don't know how long they were without water but they're in the main tank now, the little troopers.

Would a clean pickle jar be okay? Not knowing what else to use, that's what I ended up using to transport the platys from the tub in my room to the main tank and they seem to be fine. I washed it (without soap!) with hot water and a tiny bit of vinegar and rinsed it until it didn't smell like vinegar anymore. They don't seem to have any ill effects.

And thanks for the help! How long would you say is a good quarantine period? I was thinking 2 weeks but Andy's response earlier made me unsure :s

 

[Andy Sager]

Yeah, I definitely underestimated my platys... The 2 that I thought were sick at separate occasions had jumped out of the tub I was keeping them in and I don't know how long they were without water but they're in the main tank now, the little troopers.

Would a clean pickle jar be okay? Not knowing what else to use, that's what I ended up using to transport the platys from the tub in my room to the main tank and they seem to be fine. I washed it (without soap!) with hot water and a tiny bit of vinegar and rinsed it until it didn't smell like vinegar anymore. They don't seem to have any ill effects.

And thanks for the help! How long would you say is a good quarantine period? I was thinking 2 weeks but Andy's response earlier made me unsure :s

Here are some good reads on quarantining fish and disease lifecycles to help answer your question: Quarantine | Details | Articles | TFH Magazine®


This came from the following article(Freshwater Fish Parasites ):
Another common cause of a parasitic outbreak is inadequate quarantine of new fish, although many aquarists are loathe to quarantine new fish prior to introducing them into their permanent home. Many of the common and more serious diseases do not show up for two to three weeks following transport, and unfortunately, this can result in serious problems being introduced into the established aquarium. A quarantine tank can be a simple as a bare aquarium with a heater and sponge filter. Three to six weeks of quarantine should allow owners to identify any sick fish prior to introducing them into the community tank.

This came from this article( Pet Care Information: Pet Health Care, Pet Information and Articles
How long do new fish need to be quarantined?
New arrivals should be quarantined for at least 3 weeks, though a longer quarantine period is preferable.

Still have questions? Do a google search for life cycles of tropical fish parasites and you will see many articles divided into aquarium hobby threads and veterinary med threads. You'll notice all the vet threads call for longer periods of QT time while some of the hobby threads call for short times. Who would YOU trust?

I offer you all this information because as hobbyists, we are also scientists and caring for our pets is more than just looking at them in a tank or bowl. I suggest reading through all of the articles I posted above. There is a lot more information in them that I don't have room here to list. Getting other hobbyist opinions is fine but as you will read in the TFH article, some people just get lucky ( but luck always runs out at some point.) The facts are the facts.