Advice on starting a QT/Hospital tank?

[OhNeil1969]

I've gotten to the point in the hobby where having a quarantine/hospital tank is needed. I've checked other threads/sites and most of the info/advice I get about quarantine tanks speaks of a temporary set-up. What I would really like to do is keep a permanent set-up ready. Since I have plants and invertebrates in my tank, the ability to isolate and treat sick fish is a real concern. There are a lot of diseases/conditions that require treatment that is not recommended for the plants and invertebrates I like to keep. Of course the problem of keeping a healthy quarantine/hospital tank becomes an issue. I want it to be cycled, but I know that if I don't keep fish in it the beneficial bacteria will eventually die. Should I set up a tank and keep it stocked with a small amount of fish? Can I keep those fish in the QT tank while treating the sick ones? Should I transfer those fish to the community tank when treating the sick ones? Right now I have a 29 gallon tank, but I'm planning on getting a 55 or 60 gallon tank within a month. After cycling I know that I will be stocking the new tank slowly. As a result, having a quarantine tank ready will become paramount. Does anyone have a system that they use to keep a perpetual tank ready for these type of situations that they're willing to share? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[fishguy1]

If you want to keep the quarantine tank up and running while it's not in use, then you need to move the media to the filter on your main tank. Then, when you put a fish in there, you can just pull the media out and put it in the quarantine filter. That's how you maintain the cycle without fish in the tank.

Quarantine tanks should not have resident fish in them. The point of quarantining is to isolate the fish.

 

[mgamer20o0]

the idea of a qt isnt a permanent tank though. you keep it bare bottom with a heater and a filter. keep it empty until you need it. do what fishguy said run the filter on the other tank and when you need a qt move it over. if the fish dies when in qt bleach it out even think about replacing the media.

 

[Saltair]

I dont dont have a big enough tank, and its not set up right to run two filters. It would require modification to the hood etc etc... The filter in my QT doesn't offer media without carbon so I bought some bulk media cut it to fit in my QT filter and then hide a piece in the back of my main tank. When I need the QT I pull out the hidden piece and am off an running. I have a few more things in my QT also. a THIN layer of gravel and some simple cheap decor so the fish dont feel all exposed and get further stressed.

 

[fishguy1]

Excellent point. Some fish are stressed in a barebottom tank, and most fish feel more comfortable with some sort of decor in the tank.

The quarantine tank filter media ought to be carbonless, so that if the fish need to be treated with something they can be without compromising the biofilter.

 

[Deep Seven]

I use a couple plastic plants and clay pots for my QT tank, so I can bleach the plants and boil the pots to steralize if needed.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Thanks for the tips guys. I still have 1 question about the temporary qt tank. Do you have any tips on breakdown and storage of the tank when not in use? I'm assuming that everything has to go through a thorough cleaning to kill off what ever disease/parasite caused the fish to be quarantined in the first place. But how do you store the tank so that another cleaning isn't necessary when the tank is needed?

Thanks!

 

[fishguy1]

Thanks for the tips guys. I still have 1 question about the temporary qt tank. Do you have any tips on breakdown and storage of the tank when not in use? I'm assuming that everything has to go through a thorough cleaning to kill off what ever disease/parasite caused the fish to be quarantined in the first place. But how do you store the tank so that another cleaning isn't necessary when the tank is needed?

Thanks!

I just drain it. I never thoroughly clean anything unless there was something really wrong. When setting it back up, I don't clean it more than spraying it with hot water. I've never had a problem with cross contamination.