Hospital Tank

[julia298]

Hi this might sound like silly question so sorry,

I havent had my tank long (180 litre (50g). I read everywhere you should have a hospital or quarantine tank.

Do I need to get another smaller tank? Is it a tank that you would have permanently running or just fill it with water from another tank when needed?

Julia

 

[Durbkat]

Freshwater or saltwater? If its freshwater then no you don't need it unless the tank you bought a fish from had a sick fish in it. Then you would quarantine him for 5 to 6 weeks. But if it's salt then yes you will because of how expensive they are. A hospital or quarantine tank is just a 10g tank and yes it has to be running at all times and put at least two fish like guppys to keep the bacteria alive but you have to cycle the hospital tank also.

 

[Annastasia]

Actually, it's a good idea to have a hospital for a freshwater tank too. I quarantine all my new fish for at least 2 weeks, sometimes more. Not all diseases are visible, and you don't want to risk wiping out all of your stock because of one or two new fish. So I would reccomend you get a hospital tank regardless of if you keep fresh or saltwater.

Edit: What you can do to keep your hospital/quarantine tank cycled, is keep the filter in another established tank and just move it over when you need the tank. Then it will be instantly cycled, because it will already have the beneficial bacteria needed in it. That way you don't have to go through the whole process of keeping fish in there, and moving them out when you need the tank, etc.

 

[Durbkat]

Well I never quarintine my fish but I guess thats because I know what dieases look like and if I see a fish that I want but if their is a sick fish in their like something gasping for air at the top, a fish sitting at the bottom, or a fungus, or pop eye then I don't buy the fish. But if their are no dead or sick fish in the tank and they are all swimming around and acting normal then I get it.

 

[Annastasia]

Well I never quarintine my fish but I guess thats because I know what dieases look like and if I see a fish that I want but if their is a sick fish in their like something gasping for air at the top, a fish sitting at the bottom, or a fungus, or pop eye then I don't buy the fish.

But how would you be able to tell if the fish had internal parasites? You can't sit there all day and see if the fish has white stringy poo. Or some other internal disease? Not all diseases are visible, that's my point. Better to be safe then sorry, in my opinion.

 

[Durbkat]

Well I guess your right but like I said I never qurantine my fish I just settle them in and enjoy.

 

[julia298]

Thanks

It is a freshwater tank. I think I need one as I know Id be a bit neurotic about whether new fish would give the others the fish lurgy.

 

[Annastasia]

Yes, they are very useful. It's always a good idea to have a quarantine tank. It also doesn't have to be that big, maybe 10 gallons or so, but it depends on the size of fish you tend to get. Also, it has another purpose, in that you can use it should one of your fish get sick. You can isolate it, and treat it without having to treat the whole tank. Sometimes it's a good idea to treat the whole tank...but it depends on the situation.

I would definitely recommend getting one.

 

[Durbkat]

Annastasia would you also agree that he/she should keep a couple fish like guppys or something to keep the tank cycled?

 

[Annastasia]

You could if you want to...but I'd personally just stick the filter in another tank to keep it cycled. That way you don't have to stress the Guppies out by moving them into another tank, and moving them back when you get new fish, or a fish gets sick. Just my opinion, though.

 

[dwarfgourami]

I've just set up a 6 gallon hospital tank (no chance of needing a quarantine tank the way my livebearers are breeding!), and I must say I wish I had done it earlier. My platy developed columnaris following a difficult pregnancy after she'd been with me over 7 months- difficult to spot that one in the shop- and I felt very uncomfortable about keeping her in the main tank, to be picked to death by the others, and probably passing on the infection to the whole tank. As it is, she can have peace whether to die or to recover, I can stop worrying about her being infectious, and can bombard her with any medication without worrying about how it's going to affect the rest of the tank.
Once she passes over (or recovers) I am going to get a new filter sponge for that tank and keep it permanently in one of my other tanks. That way I can put the hospital tank away tidily and still be able to start it up whenever I need it.
As I say I wish I'd done this earlier, I ended up having to panic-seed the filter at very short notice, so have to keep a close eye on water stats= awkward to manage frequent water changes with medication.

 

[modernhamlet]

The Quarantine (Hospital) Tank

Introduction

Whether you're on your first tank or your 50th, you should strongly consider having a quarantine tank. For the very small cost in money and time these tanks require to setup, they give back ten times that in the peace of mind that you are doing your best to keep all of your fish, new and old, safe and healthy.

Good fishkeepers have quarantine tanks for two main reasons:
1. To acclimate and monitor new fish for disease and behavior problems before they are introduced into a tank with other fish.
2. To isolate and treat sick or problem fish, protecting your other fish and allowing you to treat just the fish that need treatment in a smaller environment.

Basic setup

Unless you keep large fish, a simple 10, 15 or 20g tank will probably suffice. Smaller tanks require less medicine to dose properly. Cover the back (and preferrably the sides) with a dark background. This will make the fish feel safer and less stressed during isolation and/or treatement. You will also need a heater strong enough to keep the water temperature steady at up to 85 degrees and a reliable hang-on-back filter. HOB filters provide good filtration and circulation, are easy to move and maintain, and allow you to change inserts as needed for handling medications.

Lighting should be low and substrate kept to a minimum. A bare tank bottom is best for cleaning the tank and monitoring the inhabitants. Decor should be simple, sterile, and easy to clean. Soft fake plants and overturned flowerpot caves are good options to allow fish to feel safe and secure while being easy to remove and clean regularly.

Tips

1. New fish should be kept in quarantine for 2-4 weeks depending on the source and visual health of the fish. This will give you plenty of time to monitor the fish for disease and general health levels and allow the fish to adjust to your home's water source if necessary.

2. When you are not quarantining new fish, the tank can be used as a hospital to treat injured or diseased fish. Always keep fish isolated long enough for complete treatment of their ailment PLUS 2 weeks after, to make sure it does not return and that the fish returns to full health.

3. Keep quarantine tank equipment completely seperate from your other tank equipment unless it is thoroughly cleaned. This includes things such as nets, decoration, and filters.

4. Unless you are medicating, perform small, but very frequent water changes. Clean water is the most important factor in disease treatment and prevention.

5. Resist the urge to keep fish in your quarantine tank. Depending on the number of tanks you own, you may not find yourself needing the tank very often. In this case, empty the tank completely between uses and keep the small HOB filter running on a larger tank to maintain the bacteria colony. However, never move a filter from a hospital tank to a main tank without cleaning it thoroughly first. Fresh media along with a little seed media from another filter should re-establish the filter. When you need the quarantine tank again, fill it with dechlorinated water of the right temperature, then add the filter and fish.

Good luck and happy fishkeeping!