Cycle a hospital tank?

[ChanEKC]

So I have 2 tanks right now.
The 20 gallon is the main tank but last week I bought a 10 gallon for a hospital tank. I put two fish in there because we had an incident and so I put the two fish in there that seemed the most stressed. But whatever happened it seems to be passing so I was wondering if I should keep my hospital tank running with a couple fish in there so it can cycle and if another fish gets sick just switch out the healthy fish with the sick fish? It seems strange to me to have a second fully functional tank but to keep it empty all the time. Does anyone else do that?

 

[Andy Sager]

So I have 2 tanks right now.
The 20 gallon is the main tank but last week I bought a 10 gallon for a hospital tank. I put two fish in there because we had an incident and so I put the two fish in there that seemed the most stressed. But whatever happened it seems to be passing so I was wondering if I should keep my hospital tank running with a couple fish in there so it can cycle and if another fish gets sick just switch out the healthy fish with the sick fish? It seems strange to me to have a second fully functional tank but to keep it empty all the time. Does anyone else do that?

A hospital tank should be just that, a short term home for an injured or sick fish. Once cured or healed, that fish should be taken out of the hospital tank and put either back into the main tank or into another long term holding tank and the hospital tank should be emptied and sterilized. No need to cycle a hospital tank as most meds will kill off the bacteria bed and there should also be nothing else in a hospital tank besides water, the injured fish, a heater ( if necessary) and some non absorbing places for the fish to hide in. ( I use PVC pipe pieces so the fish can get inside the pipe without the pipe absorbing any of the medications out of the water.) In a hospital tank, you only change water based on the type of medication you are using. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE PACKAGE. It's only for short term use.
A long term tank ( a.k.a. Quarantine tank) can be set up just like your display tank with a cycled filter because you will be feeding and doing more maintenance on that tank.

Hope this helps

 

[ChanEKC]

Oooh okay so I will probably use the one I have now as a quarantine tank then because i set it up pretty closely to my main tank and I'll get a 3 gallon tank and keep it empty for a hospital tank then. Thank you! That helped I didn't know what the difference between a hospital and quarantine tank should be (or that there was a difference)

 

[Andy Sager]

Oooh okay so I will probably use the one I have now as a quarantine tank then because i set it up pretty closely to my main tank and I'll get a 3 gallon tank and keep it empty for a hospital tank then. Thank you! That helped I didn't know what the difference between a hospital and quarantine tank should be (or that there was a difference)

Just an FYI: most meds are dosed for 10 gals of water so I would either get another 10 gal to use ( if you have larger fish) or a 5 ( if you mainly small fish) so that you can more accurately medicate. Keep in mind that if you go with a 5 or 5 1/2, you will need to get small measuring spoons to split the powder meds and a sharp knife to split pill forms evenly.