QT/hospital tank

[vero]

HI,

I'm thinking of setting up a small tank to use as a quarantine/hospital tank. Could be useful as I am still in the process of stocking my tank.

What do you people think of the Marina Goldfish Starter Kit (it comes in 7 and 10 litres I beleive and you can see it on petsmart).

I think the makor problem is that it doesn't come with a heater and it is so small I'm not sure any would fit in.

I'd like to keep a betta in it when it is not needed for quarantine/hospital.

Can I get away without a heater for betta?
Can I get away without a heater for quarantine/ hospital (I beleive not as heat is often used to treat).

Thanks

 

[rich311k]

You will need a heater for QT. Especially for ich. A betta would survie with out it but they would be happier with it. Why not just get a standard 10 gallon kit.

 

[mr86mister]

yeah, a aquarantine tank should be at least 10 if you have larger tanks and could be basic, no need for gravel, just some decor with an airstone, heater, and filter

cheap and easy

HTH

 

[flamingonhot]

A 10 gallon tank would probably be even cheaper than one of those little kits that petco and petsmart sell for 50 bux for some reason

 

[TomK2]

I agree with the 10 gal minimum. Plus the 10 gal tank will give you more flexibility. I have a web page devoted to low tech QT/Breeding tanks.

http://home.comcast.net/~tomstank/tomstank_files/page0019.htm

 

[TankGirl]

I use a 10gal and that has never failed to be adequate for quarrantine or hospital use. I keep it bare bottom and leave it dry when not in use, then I seed the small Penguin HOB with floss from one of my canister filters wrapped around the cartridge frame, and pop in 4-5 largish rocks from one of my rocky tanks to provide cover and biofiltration - the tank has always cycled instantly using this method (*knocks tank*), even with 9 boesmani juvies I recently Q'd in there.

I am always tempted to leave it up and running when Q is over, but I feel better starting from scratch next time, in case any pathogens might linger. Plus, the fish I am quarrantining or medicating might not be compatible with the betta or whatever other fish I might leave in there to maintain the cycle.

 

[patagonia]

i have to agree...its cheaper to get a 10gal kit than those other little kits...and once you finish stocking your tank you should keep the QT tank empty and running the filter in your main tank...just in case once your fully stocked something shows up (knock on wood)...then you have the QT tank ready...otherwise youll have to figure out what to do with the fish you have in the QT when you need to treat fish from your main tank...HTH...

 

[vero]

Thanks for your replies.

I was thinking that, in my QT tank, I could keep a fish that would be welcome in my bigger tank.

I was under the impression that this tank had to run all the time and I figured that it might as well have a fish in it. I hadn't realized that I could simply set it up as needed.

That's what I will do then. A 10 gal, empty in case I need it.

Thanks

 

[TygGer]

I use a 10gal and that has never failed to be adequate for quarrantine or hospital use. I keep it bare bottom and leave it dry when not in use, then I seed the small Penguin HOB with floss from one of my canister filters wrapped around the cartridge frame, and pop in 4-5 largish rocks from one of my rocky tanks to provide cover and biofiltration - the tank has always cycled instantly using this method (*knocks tank*), even with 9 boesmani juvies I recently Q'd in there.

I am always tempted to leave it up and running when Q is over, but I feel better starting from scratch next time, in case any pathogens might linger. Plus, the fish I am quarrantining or medicating might not be compatible with the betta or whatever other fish I might leave in there to maintain the cycle.

What do you do with 4-5 largish rocks that you put into the quarantine after you're done with the quarantine? Put it back into the display?

Aren't you worried about getting bad stuff into the display?

 

[TankGirl]

I scrub the rocks with a brush (these are smooth river rocks) and pour boiling water over them, then set them out in the sun to dry completely, then I stick them back into the display. So far I have not done this for hospital purposes, where there was a disease to be treated, only for quarrantine, and since I have not had anything ugly crop up in quarrantine in quite some time I am not too concerned. I treat all new fish (except labyrinth fish) in quarrantine with Melafix and Pimafix during their stay in Q.

Another (easier) way to do this is to run a sponge filter in your display tank to seed it, then pop it into the bare 10gal and run it there - usually instant cycle. Those you can squeeze out and nuke for a few seconds before placing them back for re-seeding. I have two running in one of my display tanks but I had forgotten to squeeze them out periodically - they were hidden well! - and they were so clogged I was not confident when I was setting up my q-tank that they would perform adequately for the relatively large fish load I was placing in Q. I broke out my old Penguin instead this time.

 

[TygGer]

So regardless if they are sick or not, you use melafix and pimafix?

 

[TankGirl]

Yep. These are very mild antiseptics, not antibiotics or anything, so I have found over the years that when I do this automatically I rarely have anything crop up in quarrantine. This will heal any damage to fins or scales during transit, and prevent bacterial outbreaks or fungus that sometimes develops following netting/shipping/netting/shipping, etc. that they often go through.

I think of Melafix as like using Neosporin or hydrogen peroxide on a scrape that I might get - you use a mild preparation to take care of any infection-causing agents that might be present, before they can cause trouble.

 

[TygGer]

I think I'll try that next time. So do you run a quarantine with a heater, HOB filter, hiding places and no gravel?

And do you use the recommended dosages or lessen the amount?

 

[TankGirl]

In the winter I run a heater, but in the summer, even with AC, my tanks all stay at around 78-80. My current setup is HOB filter, hiding places and no gravel, but as mentioned, sometimes I use the sponge filter, which also serves as an excellent hiding space for many types of fish. If I do not use rocks I use a weighted fake plant, float some java moss or something like that.

I use the regular dose of Melafix. If I am ever quarrantining a labyrinth fish (been a while!) I'd use salt in the water instead.

Whichever way you go, either as an established tank with a betta, snails, or whatever to keep it cycled, or bare-bottomed and dry on off-times, just do it the way that is easiest for you so that you will not find it bothersome to quarrantine or put display fish in hospital. If it makes sense and is simple for you, you are more likely to use it every time. Having introduced ich to a planted tank once by not quarrantining fish first I can tell you I'd never go without Q again - not worth it.

 

[TygGer]

Agreed. Luckily my fish are recovering and all the ich is subsiding, but from now on... I'm not going to be lazy and will quarantine EVERYTIME!

Thx for the suggestions along the way.

 

[TankGirl]

You are very welcome, and I hope they recover nicely - glad to hear there is progress.