QT Tank

[JPKeenan]

Every article preaches about having them but also says most people don't bother until they have a new fish cause havoc with an established tank.

So what would go into a basic QT? a small 10g tank with a sponge filter? Fill it with water from an established tank?

Not just asking this for my own benefit but also for other people out teher who do not have one set up.

 

[kaiofcanada]

I have a 10 gallon tank that is cycled and lightly planted. I do regular maintenance on it as I do with my other tanks and test the levels once a week. If the tank is not used for a while, be sure to feed it with a flake of fish food to keep the bacterial fed.

I keep a couple plants in mine as they provide shelter and calm the fish who are kept in their. My QT has a heater so that I can treat ich or velvet should they happen with heat and salt. I use an in tank filtration system by whisper that works much like a HOB and is better than an undergravel.

I am sure everyone has different setups. That is just what I use.

 

[HN1]

10G tank that is kept dry until needed. If you run multiple filters on any of your established tanks, just move one over or get a small HOB for QT use and move filter media. Fill, dechlor, heat, move filter (or media), voila!

 

[JPKeenan]

cool thanks for the ideas. Seriously needing them for when I start setting up my other tanks.... plus looks like some black neon tetras I picked up are showing signs of something being wrong.

Like I said originally you don't think of a QT till you have something bad come into an established tank.

 

[spoonman]

I do the same as HN1, I run an extra HOB on my 84G and have a 29G empty in the garage. When I need it I usually just use it bare bottom with a heater, airstone, HOB from the 84G and fill it with dechlored water. I use it with no substrate just for the ease of not having to clean it if I have to use meds on a fish. That is just the way I do it.

 

[kellyinvancouver]

I too keep my quarantine HN1-style, with a sponge filter... carbon filtration will remove medications: don't make this mistake!

I also use a rubbermaid tub, because they are cheap, and I won't be tempted to plant it

 

[JPKeenan]

I too keep my quarantine HN1-style, with a sponge filter... carbon filtration will remove medications: don't make this mistake!

I also use a rubbermaid tub, because they are cheap, and I won't be tempted to plant it

Plus the sponge filters are pretty cheap.... being about 1/2 the price of a HOB.

 

[kellyinvancouver]

Plus the sponge filters are pretty cheap.... being about 1/2 the price of a HOB.

Mhmmm! I love them for small tanks... Hagen makes one for $7 CDN... pumps are 15, gang valves are 3, then BAM you're filtering 3 tanks for 25 bucks

 

[kaiofcanada]

I guess I should add that I am constantly rescuing fish. So my QT tank goes non-stop it seems. I also adopt the fish out to new homes as most of them I can not keep. I have kept a few, but mostly I am the bleeding heart fish lady...dog lady...plant lady....cat lady.

I have a friend who is moving in a month and she will have 5 kissing gourami and some panda barbs that I will be looking for homes for. So if anyone lives in the Chicago area and are looking/wanting some fishies, send me a message. The panda barbs are REALLY cute!!!

 

[OrionX]

I read somewhere that if you do not have any space for a QT you could keep decent sized a clean plastic container(similar to size of a small 10l tank, never used with chemicals) as an emergency tank.
1.store a sponge from a sponge filter in your sump filter so that it will be part of your normal sump,
or
2.use filterwool from your running sump with a corner filter thats on standby.

Use water from your current tank, assemble and stick either option 1 or 2, into the emergency container, have a small enough heater on standby with a standby airpump.

I usually stick a peice of driftwood and some loose plants like egeria densa or hornwort(good nutrient sponges), just to make the lil guy feel a bit comfortable and have some space to hide and get better

 

[HN1]

I read somewhere that if you do not have any space for a QT you could keep decent sized a clean plastic container(similar to size of a small 10l tank, never used with chemicals) as an emergency tank.
1.store a sponge from a sponge filter in your sump filter so that it will be part of your normal sump,
or
2.use filterwool from your running sump with a corner filter thats on standby.

Use water from your current tank, assemble and stick either option 1 or 2, into the emergency container, have a small enough heater on standby with a standby airpump.

I usually stick a peice of driftwood and some loose plants like egeria densa or hornwort(good nutrient sponges), just to make the lil guy feel a bit comfortable and have some space to hide and get better

This is a fairly common misconception. In a FW tank, there is little to no need to use used water. All that will be transported in it enmasse are pollutants. New, clean water is preferable once dechlorinated and temp matched.

 

[WhiteDevil]

I guess I should add that I am constantly rescuing fish. So my QT tank goes non-stop it seems. I also adopt the fish out to new homes as most of them I can not keep. I have kept a few, but mostly I am the bleeding heart fish lady...dog lady...plant lady....cat lady.

I have a friend who is moving in a month and she will have 5 kissing gourami and some panda barbs that I will be looking for homes for. So if anyone lives in the Chicago area and are looking/wanting some fishies, send me a message. The panda barbs are REALLY cute!!!

PM sent on the Panda's

 

[mgamer20o0]

one thing about QT is it depends on the fish. small fish a 10 gallon is fine. but with larder fish you want to have a bigger space. it really depends on what size and how many fish will dictate the qt. i have some 40 and 60 gallon qt along with 20 gallons also. rubbermade tubes are a great idea for a cheap qt like someone said.