Do you clean a QT tank between uses?

[allysonwonderland]

Hi all, I'm planning on starting a community tank sometime soon. I'd really like to quarantine all fish before I put them in, but I'd like it to be a steady adding of fish without a big huge gap in between. So if I quarantine new fish for 2 weeks, and add them to my big tank, and then go out and buy new fish to sit in the quarantine...do I have to do anything to the QT tank beforehand? What if my last batch of fish DID have a sick one and had to be treated? Even if I treat the whole QT tank, does anything linger on any surfaces that could affect future fish that get put in?

 

[George9]

Hi all, I'm planning on starting a community tank sometime soon. I'd really like to quarantine all fish before I put them in, but I'd like it to be a steady adding of fish without a big huge gap in between. So if I quarantine new fish for 2 weeks, and add them to my big tank, and then go out and buy new fish to sit in the quarantine...do I have to do anything to the QT tank beforehand? What if my last batch of fish DID have a sick one and had to be treated? Even if I treat the whole QT tank, does anything linger on any surfaces that could affect future fish that get put in?

If you qt a fish and it comes down with a disease, and you cure the disease then the tank should be fine for the next batch.

Just make sure your fish in qt are healthy, and if not, make sure you treat it accordingly and make sure the qt tank is cured.

You can drain it and refill it in between batches if you're unsure.

 

[Mebbid]

For a QT tank I find it best just to keep some extra filter media in your DT filter and when it comes time to add some fish to the QT you can just pull it out and bam, instantly cycled tank

When the fish no longer needs to be quarantined just tear down the tank boil the filter pad, add the pad back into your DT filter and you won't have to worry abut the tank being in the way. I do the same thing with hospital tanks. It might not be necessary to sterilize the filter pad but I do it just because it takes 5 minutes and almost no effort.

 

[trustemedia]

I asked the same question here not too long ago and was told to wash it with a mild bleach solution. So I did.