Hospital Tank

[Rorie]

I may not understand the tank process properly, so bare with me and please help me out.

I now have a small 26L tank as a quarantine/hospital tank. I am running it for a week and adding the bacteria enhancer as i did with my main tank when i got it. As far as i know, my tank needs to have 'natural good bacteria' in it for the fish.

I was told that when my 2nd tank is not in use - i.e when no fish are ill, or when i do not plan to get new fish, i can pack it away. When i need it, i just fill it up with water (conditioned of course) heat it up, and off i go. The filter will be kept running in my main tank when the small one is not in use.

Does this mean that all the 'bacteria' that is required to have a good tank is in the filter? The water and gravel does not have any of this required good bacteria in it?

2nd question - if i have an ill fish, i transfer him to the hospital tank. But this will have water which is not at the same conditions as that of the main tank as there have been no fish in it etc. will that not shock the fish and cause more problems?

I am confused!

 

[Tolak]

I wouldn't say all of the nitrifying bacteria is in the filter media, but such a large percentage is that it will amount to an instantly cycled tank.

If you are doing regular water changes on your main tank the slight difference in water will not matter, with most medications you should be doing large daily water changes. The move to a tank with all fresh water is really no different from a large water change.

 

[shroob]

Agree with Tolak.

The vast majority of 'good bacteria' is in the filter media. I keep surplus media in my trickle filter in case I need to instantly set up a tank.

Providing that your main isn't a specialist set up then moving a fish between tanks isn't much of an issue. Try to keep temperature, pH etc. as close as possible. I would also go through the acclimitisation period as if it was a new fish to minimise as much stress as possible.

By specialist set up I mean if your main tank is, say, an African rift lake with high pH, yet your hospital tank is 'regular' water, which may be low pH and soft then the shock will be stressful. If you get what I mean.

 

[Rorie]

Thats great, thanks. I thought that may be the case, but i thought i would check just to make sure/

Thank you