Hospital Tank Filtration?

[mrapoc]

Hey all
 
I've gotten a small 12litre plastic tank for treating sick fish for the rare occasion it occurs. I have a heater for it now just thinking about filtration.
 
What kind of filter will suffice? As it's not going to be in use 24/7 how would one deal with the lack of bacteria when needed to use it?
 
I do have those little pure jelly orbs for starting up colonies but not sure how quick/effective they are.
 
Trying to keep costs down but also do the right thing.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Please read post #3 in this thread http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/438839-hospital-tank/

 

[fluttermoth]

The best filter for hospital tanks is a simple sponge filter, run from an air pump.
 
Most people keep the sponge in their main filter, and take it out when/if they need it.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I must disagree with the above post. Why do I say this?
 
If you have a main tank with an auxillary sponge to be used in a hospital tank, the odds are pretty good that whatever you might be treating for will also be in that filter. So by moving it to a hospital tank, you are moving the cause right along with the fish. If you cannot nail down the diagnosis 100%, you will have no idea if the med of choice is doing any good. If it is the wrong med, then your moved over filter will insure the cause of the problem is thriving in the H tank.
 
There are many ways to do things in tanks. Most of the time the different methods can work fine to achieve the same goal. When it comes to pathogens there is a lot less wiggle room. The methods I have detailed in the linked thread have worked pretty well for me over the years and I see no reason to change them. What readers/members here decide to do with their H tank is up to them. But please consider all of the things I cover in that post before you decide how you want to proceed relative to H tank setup and operation.

 

[Chad]

I have to agree with the practice of keeping filtration separate between the hospital tank and the main tank. We don't want pathogens or parasites to be transferred into the main tank.

That said, I have only used a hospital tank on very rare occasions. And in those cases it was more for separation and stress reduction. For example a weekend fish being bullied by other fish will have a high stress level and a lowered ability to heal itself because of it. In that case the stress of being moved is often less than the stress of staying put.

Whenever possible (which is almost always for me) I will leave the fish where it is and find a way to treat it in that environment. A healthy fish with low stress has a pretty strong immune system so that when it does get sick or injured I find they can pretty much get over it.

I have also found that a fish that is weak and unhealthy to begin with rarely survives an illness no matter how much hospitalization or care I render.

When I have used a hospital tank I have used a disposable sponge. I keep a couple of extras in the main tank for just that emergency. When I am done with the hospital tank I throw the sponges away and put new sponges in the main tank in case I need them in the future.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

And when the med you need to use in that tank kills the bacteria in that sponge but the fish must remain in the H tank, then what?
 
If one know what is wrong and that thing is contagious, then there is no need for an H tank, one treats the whole tank.
 
An H tank is for treating things that need meds, that are not likely contagious and for which isolation will not only reduce the cost of medications but also shelter a fish from others in a tank which might pick on it. It also makes observing the fish a lot easier. If one is using it simply as a refuge, then it is not really an H tank it is a refugium so to speak isn't it.
 
Maybe I am splitting hairs here. Whatever works for you is how you should do things. I certainly do it that way.

 

[Chad]

I would much rather kill the bacteria in a small single tank than in my main display. One puts a single fish at risk while the other would put my entire livestock at risk. I can manage a small hospital tank without bacteria as a single fish will produce less ammonia and the smaller size would make it easier to do enough water changing to keep the ammonia down. This is a greater battle if we're dealing with an entire tank. Of course this depends on what we're treating. 
 
Personally I can't remember the last time I medicated at all. My practice is to keep the fish as healthy as possible and let them heal themselves. This has worked terribly well for me. But, I know it doesn't for everyone or every situation so I think a hospital tank can serve a purpose.