Starting a Quarantine Tank

[Coco1019]

I'm in the process of doing a fish-in cycle (yes, I was one of those people - the ones that were totally clueless and followed the word of their fish store employee and ran an empty tank for a whopping two days!). I'm having an active sponge delivered tomorrow that I will be setting up in my 29G. Right now I have 9 guppies with plans way down the road to add something else.

In preparation, and also just because it would be nice to have a hospital ready to go if I need one, I would like to get information on the best way to get started.

What is the best size to get? Decorations aren't really needed, right? Just substrate and maybe something to hide in? Do I set this up and throw in some media from my main tank (once it's been cycled and stable)?

 

[blert]

No substrate, it is impossible to keep a QT as clean as needed with a substrate, the patients won't care about this.

Some fake plants and stuff to hide/play in.
Don't put anything in it that can't be taken out and sterilized.

Size is a matter of personal preference. Ten gallons at least I would think.

 

[Coco1019]

No substrate, it is impossible to keep a QT as clean as needed with a substrate, the patients won't care about this.

Some fake plants and stuff to hide/play in.
Don't put anything in it that can't be taken out and sterilized.

Size is a matter of personal preference. Ten gallons at least I would think.

Thank you! I'll make sure to leave that out.

When you sterilize, what do you use?

So I would take the sponge from my main tank, add it to the QT to get it cycled, it makes sense to remove it before adding fish, right? That way when the tank needs to be sterilized it doesn't kill the BB in that sponge?

 

[Coco1019]

Once a QT is cycled, what do you do to keep it cycled? Do you just keep dosing the ammonia or using the flakes?

 

[shellieca]

I have a 10g that I bought on sale, I set it up when I need to QT someone. I have silk plants, a few cave structures & I use the larger rocks for the bottom just because I like it. I don't leave mine set up all of the time so it is a fish IN cycle when I use it which for me is OK because typically (not always) you will be doing lots of water changes to help the new fish or to heal a sick one. You may or may not be able to reuse the filter media depending on why you are QTing. Some people will have the filter for the QT tank on their main tank until its needed or they will leave the QT tank set up all the time, dosing ammonia I think once or twice a week to keep the BB going.

 

[Coco1019]

I have a 10g that I bought on sale, I set it up when I need to QT someone. I have silk plants, a few cave structures & I use the larger rocks for the bottom just because I like it. I don't leave mine set up all of the time so it is a fish IN cycle when I use it which for me is OK because typically (not always) you will be doing lots of water changes to help the new fish or to heal a sick one. You may or may not be able to reuse the filter media depending on why you are QTing. Some people will have the filter for the QT tank on their main tank until its needed or they will leave the QT tank set up all the time, dosing ammonia I think once or twice a week to keep the BB going.

I'm terrified on doing a fish in cycle. I'm doing that right now with my main tank because I didn't know anything about cycling and the poor fish were pretty sick when I started. If you QT a fish because you just bought it, keep it in there for a few weeks and everything is fine, do you have to tear everything down and clean it to start new. Or, since things were okay, can you keep it going?

Is a 10 gallon okay for most fish for a few weeks or do I need a bigger tank? I have seen people mention that neons need bigger than a 10 due to their activity. I plan on getting cardinals next. Would they be okay in a smaller tank temporarily?

Thanks for your help, btw.