Quarantine Tank - How to?

[fddlss]

I will be setting up a quarantine tank (10 gallon) and I know it should be a simple thing to do, but I have a few questions.

Do I need any substrate? If yes, it can be "new" or it needs to be from the main tank?

Do I need to cycle the tank? If no, how will I keep the quarantined fish from dying from ammonia poisoning if I plan to keep the fish there for at least two weeks? Daily 70% water changes with water from the main aquarium or water from the tap? No water changes?

Anything else I should know?


Thanks.

 

[dskidmore]

It depends.

If you're just planning to QT new purchases that you think are healthy, than substrate and decorations to hide behind are good for the fish. If you will be treating the tank with medications, substrate may be counterproductive.

Using substrate from the main tank will speed the cycle. If you're going to be treating with antibotics, you may as well not bother, as the cycle will be interrupted and you'll have to do a ton of water changes anyway. If you want to be able to return the borrowed substrate to the main tank, put it in a media bag or panty hose so it can be easily removed later.

If your tank is not cycled, or is being treated with antibiotics, do frequent ammonia tests, and do a 50% water change every time goes above .25. (If the level was 1.0, a 50% change would only bring the level to 0.5, so you would want to do two more water changes that day, spaced out over time to not shock the fish, to get below .25.)

Use new water for water changes. You're likely to contaminate the main tank if you're constantly sticking your siphon into one tank and then the other.

 

[Deep Seven]

Most people recommend no substrate for a quarantine tank. Easier to keep clean and healthy in quarantine situations.

A lot of people store a chunk of filter media in their main tank, and swap it over to the quarantine tank when needed. Then sterilize it and put it back in the main tank when you're done. If thats not an option a bit of substrate in a media bag would help. Only use this method if your main tank is healthy.

If you have time to get it cycled using a fishless cycle then by all means go for it. As long as your main tank is healthy you can use it to seed the quarantine tank and it should go pretty quick.

 

[fddlss]

Great help, as always from this forum!

In case of quarantining new fish:
What I think I would do is just get my 10 gallon tank that I will be using as a QT tank, no substrate, maybe just some black or blue background paper to put on the bottom glass so that the reflection will not confuse the fish and one or two hiding spots. Then, I will do a DIY sponge filter that I will place in the sump of my established tank (I only have space next to the submersible return pump) and I will move the sponge filter to the QT tank whenever I bring new fish home and leave it there with the fish for about two weeks, checking for ammonia daily, but the sponge filter should help the nitrogen cycle I guess. The tank will be filled with fresh water (using Prime to neutralize chloramine, etc.) instead of water from my main tank, even if it's healthy. After that I will sterilize the sponge filter (even if new fish was healthy) and return it to the established tank's sump and drain the QT tank.

In case of illness:

I will fill the QT tank with fresh water, use Prime as dechlorinator, move the sponge filter from the sump to the QT tank and treat the fish accordingly. Follow the same procedure stated above and, when done, either sterilize the sponge filter or throw it away and make another one (DIY), to be sure. If treatment affects the "good bacteria" I will continue checking for ammonia daily and do water changes as needed. When all done, the tank will be drained.

Does this makes sense?

I would like to do a fishless cycle, and I certainly have time to do it, but how would I keep the bacteria alive if the tank will only house fish occasionally?

Thanks

 

[dskidmore]

All sounds good.

To keep the biological filter active in a tank with no fish, add a little fish food regularly.

 

[fddlss]

All sounds good.

To keep the biological filter active in a tank with no fish, add a little fish food regularly.

That's a good idea, although I would have to add a good amount of food each day since that would be the only source of ammonia after it decays. Anyways, I think it's always a good idea to drain and clean the tank after a sick fish was there.

Thanks.

 

[dskidmore]

That's a good idea, although I would have to add a good amount of food each day since that would be the only source of ammonia after it decays.

The nitrogen in the fish poop comes from the fish food they eat, so fish food is normally the only source of ammonia, it's just normally an extra step away. Your other normal sources of ammonia are dead fish (hopefully rare) and dead plant parts (including decorations made from plants that break down over time.)