Quarantine tank?

[nijoe1221]

Well I've decided to start doing a QT. I have an extra 10gallon sitting around and was wondering if I could use that since my display is only 40gb and I don't get large fish.

Also what all do I need for a QT? how do I keep it running with safe levels if there's no livestock in it?

Please add any other helpful information that I am missing

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[CCXGT]

Well I've decided to start doing a QT. I have an extra 10gallon sitting around and was wondering if I could use that since my display is only 40gb and I don't get large fish.

Also what all do I need for a QT? how do I keep it running with safe levels if there's no livestock in it?

Please add any other helpful information that I am missing

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

Just set it up as standard.
Nothing fancy is needed.

All you need is;
A small filter - most people use a sponge filter but I've chosen a small HoB.

A small heater - nothing special, just enough to keep the temp constant.

Substrate - I'm not bothering with any myself, it's not benefiting anything and would make it more of a job to clean.

Decor - if the fish is nervous it might want something to hide in, a small pot or PVC tube works fine.

Cycling chemicals - since you'll need to be kick starting your nitrogen cycle, I used Fluval Cycle, just treat using the directions and let the tank cycle itself.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Retired_AF]

I have a 10-gallon QT with a HOB filter, small heater and 2 ceramic houses in the tank. No sand, no rock except for some small rubble pieces I keep in my HOB filter for the bio filter. I did mine this way because I also pre-medicate anything I get and treat for parasites and diseases to make sure what goes into my display tanks is healthy and safe. The houses provide a place for them to hide as they acclimate to their new surroundings and the lack of any substrate makes the tank easier to keep clean. I dont use lights, again to help keep their stress level low. When I put my fish into the DT I can then do a 100% water change in the QT. If the tanks goes for a while without anything new going in I will sometimes put a small dose of bacteria into the tank to keep the filter rocks live and then a small dose of ammonia (just a couple capfuls) once a week.

 

[Ingy]

First, let's specify, a quarantine tank (QT) and a Hospital Tank (HT) are treated different.
A QT never gets chemicals and is simply a place to observe fish for 3-4 weeks. You can use hyposalinity treatment in there as the effects are not permanent. There are never, ever, latent toxicity from chemical treatments. I keep my bio filter pad for my QT and some PVC fittings in my main sump so I can quickly set up my QT when a new fish is expected. I will also throw a ball of chaeto and a rock from the sump into the QT for nutrient export. All in all, it's a less than pretty display tank. If I ever need to use hypo salinity I would pull the rock, chaeto and bio pads and rely on daily water changes to control nutrients.
I also have a dedicated 10 gal tank for a HT that I have yet to need for SW ( knock on wood). That has a different filter that just gets filter floss and again daily water changes.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[nijoe1221]

Ok I was just wondering how the bacteria would thrive if it's just an empty tank. Now what exactly would I be looking for in a QT? Just to see if some disease pops up within the few weeks? Also how would I know when it's safe to transfer to DT?
Thanks for all the responses so far


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[CCXGT]

Ok I was just wondering how the bacteria would thrive if it's just an empty tank. Now what exactly would I be looking for in a QT? Just to see if some disease pops up within the few weeks? Also how would I know when it's safe to transfer to DT?
Thanks for all the responses so far


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

A white cloudiness over the eyes.
White stringy looking worms on the skin.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[melosu58]

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro

 

[Ingy]

Ok I was just wondering how the bacteria would thrive if it's just an empty tank. Now what exactly would I be looking for in a QT? Just to see if some disease pops up within the few weeks? Also how would I know when it's safe to transfer to DT?
Thanks for all the responses so far


The biggest threat, being Ick, is visible in less than 3 weeks. So observing for 3-4 weeks, watching carefully for any signs of ick, is usually enough.

My tank waits in my workshop, put away. As mentioned, the bio pad and PVC fittings are sitting in my DT sump, full of BB, ready to get put into the QT. When I set the QT up, with the filter, fittings, a rock or 2 and the chaeto, I've never had detectable levels of any nitrogenous waste. I've done this for a tang, as well as some smaller fish, but I've never added a huge bio load to QT (3 Chromis was the most).

 

[Retired_AF]

First, let's specify, a quarantine tank (QT) and a Hospital Tank (HT) are treated different.
A QT never gets chemicals and is simply a place to observe fish for 3-4 weeks.

I pretreat ALL my acquisitions just to make sure they don't have anything. You just have no idea what the fish have been exposed to and pre-medicating them is a preventive measure that hopefully keeps them from developing any diseases or parasites, both internal and external. If the fish are already disease and parasite free medicating them doesn't hurt them at all. I keep them in my QT for at least 30 days and, so far, I have been fortunate not to have any outbreaks in my display tanks.

A hospital tank is set up to treat sick fish. Because of the design of my DT I would have to completely tear it apart to get to a sick fish. I pretreat so I hopefully never have to set up a hospital tank and in 2 years I have never needed one.

 

[Ingy]

I understand your policy and it's a good one. For me it comes down to terminology. If your medicating a tank, whether preventative or curative, you have to treat that tank differently. Beneficial bacteria likely won't survive either and more frequent water changes are required. Carbon is a no no as well. That makes it a hospital tank IMO.

A purely quarantine tank can be of lower maintenance as no meds are used. Standard weekly wc are done and plants, rocks and BB are all present, lowering stress on the fish.

I just see it as you run a HT to treat and observe your fish.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice