QT tank setup

[Franco7]

I just inquired a 10gal tank that i wil be using for a qt tank, i have seen some post about people saying the only setup a qt or hospital tank when needed. Well i was going to setup a qt tank and keep it running, so im just curious what should be in there like as far as dec, gravel, and should cycle it just like a regular tank with a good filter or what? I guess what im trying to do is prevent diseases to get in my 55gal when i buy new fish, but how good does this method work or is it just a waste of time. My buddy caught ick from a newly purchased fish cause he didn't qt or even have a qt tank and he lost everything in his 55gal, i don't want that to be me...

Thanks for all the advice.
Frank

 

[bzbee]

The reason why most people keep QTs bare is that if you really DO keep a fish with disease in there, you will want to sterilize the tank before you put any more fish in it to prevent the disease from spreading to fish that are subsequently kept in the tank. (Many bacteria/fungi have a cyst or spore like state that can stay in gravel indefinitely until conditions are right for it to spread again.) It's a lot easier to do that for a bare tank than to have to sterilize your decor and gravel as well. What I would recommend is to keep the QT bare and keeping an extra sponge filter in your main tank to keep the bio-bugs going and transferring that to the QT as and when necessary, making sure each time to sterilize it before returning it to the main tank for "recharging". HTH!

 

[bzbee]

BTW, I use 1 part household bleach to 20 parts water to clean my 10G QT, leave it for about a week or so for the chlorine to dissipate, rinse it once followed by overdosing 4x dechlor just in case when I fill it up again.

 

[Franco7]

ok well let me put this into the mix now, like i said im using it for incoming of new fish, i mean i would be buying new fish every one to two weeks, so im going to have to redo it everytime i want to buy new fish, see to me thats a waste of time, i mean i guess i could maybe keep it going until i get a disease and if i do then before adding new fish dump everything including gravel and rinse decor or whatever. Would that be an ok method do you think.... i guess what im getting at, is i don't want just an empty tank laying around(momma dukes not to happy about the tank in the firstplace lol) but also i dont want to have to get a disease in my big tank, so i figure if i keep it going as a normal tank and just add my new fish to it as they come and go, i can keep it running. if i get a disease i can just treat it in that tank and sterilze everything after including get new gravel an baking my decor in hot water. My only question with that would be how do i deal with filteration seeing where im sure disease can nest in your filter system as well, is that why i would keep a sponge in my biig tank collecting good bac.

 

[BrianNY]

Sometimes peoples goals are in conflict. It sounds like what you want to do is eventually keep this QT tank as a permanent set up. If that's the case, just set the tank up the way you want and hope for the best.

You can seed any kind of filter you want. Perhaps run a small HOB on your main tank, and shift it over to the QT when needed. It will take approx 10 days to be properly seeded (and don't change the media).

I like sponge filters but they do look ugly in a show tank. A few minutes in the microwave (sponge only), will sterilize it for the next go around.

 

[TankGirl]

I agree with the above. I will also point out that each new fish should be quarrantined for about 3 weeks, so if there are fish in there constantly coming and going, then it will defeat the purpose of quarrantine and do you no good at all.

 

[Franco7]

also do you know if i can use an acrylic tank or should it be glass, im affriad about using a heater if it will melt the acrylic tank or not.... cause i can get a 10 gal for free from my frend, but its acrylic and im not sure if i should retun my glass one and use his?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Heaters can be used on Acrylic tanks. The heater won't get hot enough to melt the acrylic. It doesn't matter which one you use.

 

[Franco7]

SWEET, thanks guys and girls