substrate for hospital tank

[Guest]

I have read that a bare bottom is best for a hospital tank, but was wondering whether it's viable to keep live sand, live rock, and maybe some type of livestock in a hospital tank while it is in regular use awaiting a temporary resident sick fish.

Or, do most medications wind up killing the live sand and live rock or any corals anyway?

If not live sand, is some other sand OK?

 

[reefrunner69]

The problem with substrates in a hospital tank is they are porous and take up the medicines. This means you have to replace the medicines more often and once you have removed the medicine, it will be leaching back into the water from the substrate. It is recommended that only inert materials be kept in the hospital tank.

The problem with keeping other fish, is that they will pick on the new fish, and there is a chance the new fish will infect the resident if it is sick.

 

[Gauge]

The best idea I've heard so far is to not keep your QT tank up all the time. If you want to have it cycled when you need it, then keep a sponge filter in the sump of your main tank until it is needed, and then move it to the QT tank for use. It should do the job just fine, from what I hear.

 

[BillyZ]

What I plan on doing, once my refugium is set up, is I have a whisper type hang on filter that I currently use for carbon/additives that I will simply hang on my fuge tank with the sponge media only. then when I need to set up a QT tank I just fill the tank with water from the system, move the whisper to the QT tank, turn on it's heater and I'm ready to QT. 5 minutes to set up. water's already at the right salinity, temp etc. filter already has an established bio colony.

 

[Sam]

Agree on the advice on the substrate. One point I will make is that I have seen it recommended that the bottom be painted black of some solid color, so as not to freak out the fidh with what looks like an open bottom. Again in concurrence, it is recommended that the QT be strerilized and emptied before its next use. Also use separate accessories for this apart from your main tank, like nets, buckets and the like.