Hospital tanks

[kriblover]

Can someone give me the lowdown on how to properly set up a hospital tank? In my last short-lived emergency, I ran out and bought a 5-gallon, and I filled it with water form my big tank because I didn't have time to let it cycle, and I didn't want the shock of water parameter change to affect the fish. Is this the right way?

 

[Changes-In-Latitude]

Get, if you haven't already, a reliable heater for use in the hospital tank.

You can run a sponge filter in your main tank in order to have a cycled filter ready to go at all times.

A low watt light seems better than a bright light for a sick fish but that's just my opinion.

Something like a cup or such to give a sick fish a sense of security and a hiding place.

After using a hospital tank you can add bleach to the water and let it run thru the filter for an hour or so. Then you will have to rinse filter and tank VERY well, I let any aquatic stuff sit out in the sun for a couple days after many rinsings and haven't experianced any problems. You can then put the sponge filter back in the main tank to get recycled.

HTH.

 

[chunmak]

if you have the money get a UV sterilizer andwhen needed pump water from the main tank into it and run the water from the tank into the hispital tank and then back through the UV the water will be germ free on the return and u can keep using it to purify the water and its instant cycling and the water will be at the same temp.

 

[Feline]

You may want to put the gravel or sand from your existing tank to the hospital tank because putting water alone won't be able to bring enough beneficial bacteria to the hospital tank.

 

[kriblover]

I wish I could get a UV sterilizer! When I set up my hospital tank, all I did was fill it with water from the original tank and let it run for a bit before I put my sick fish in. I did not put the Bio-Wheel or filter cartridge in because I wasusing antibiotics. He died (see my post on Very Sick Krib) and I know he was very sick, but did I speed up that process by not setting the hospital tank up properly? My other krib is sick now, so I made need to do it again, and I don't want to mess it up because she is very special to me...

 

[Bol]

From the research I've done, "cycling" of a hospital tank isn't necessary --probably because most medications (that I can think of) also strongly suggest you do daily water changes of 25% or so.

But, you do need a filter or air stone to agitate the water, and a heater to maintain temperature.

Personally, I'd only go the air stone route if you're doing daily water changes, but that's just me. And, if you do use a filter, make sure the media doesn't contain activated charcoal (as the charcoal will most likely adsorb the medication).

 

[cation]

I have to respectfully disagree with you here, Bol. It seems to me one of the worst things you could do would be to put a fish with a pre-weakened immune system into a tank poisoned with ammonia and nitrites.