What to do with quarantine tanks between uses?

[Amygdaland]

I have a 10g freshwater one I set up which currently holds a few new fish.
Of course I'm not always going to have fish in it, but would still like it to be immediately available if/when I decide to get more fish.


Do you a) keep it running all the time?
Or b) empty it between uses? Is disinfecting with bleach necessary if no diseases are apparent?


I'm just wondering because it seems like a hassle to re-cycle the tank every single time I want to quarantine fish.

 

[Autumnsky]

One thing I would do is, if there was no issues would always keep a bag of cycled media hung under the intake and out flow to keep good water flow on it. And I would keep an additional filter pad back to back in the HOB. Always wanted to have cycled media.

Also I usually would use my QT for a excess plant holding tanks. But remove the best plants for the tanks if/when it was QT.

Finally went to bare bottom QT. All I needed was to throw in a new Aquaclear filter and add the sponge and the cycled bag of ceramic media and or Matrix media.

It there was a sickness and fish didn't get through QT without issues, It would get bleached and rinsed very well and then soaked in Prime 2x and added back into the tank. Thrown away if it was a really bad illness or had to use copper containing medication.

Since I value keeping inverts, I never want copper stuff to be an issue.

 

[King Fisher]

Depends if you are using meds that kill off BB or not.

I've found it isn't completely necessary to have a cycled qt tank but rather more convenient at times.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Run the quarantine filter in the main tank.......
Then it’s ready for emergencies or new stock as required.