How many people have permanent hospital or quarantine tanks?

[GaryE]

We know we're supposed to have QT and hospital tanks, but how many of actually have the self discipline not to use them for other purposes?

 

[MaloK]

At the moment it's in my dreams.

But I had more than one before. And they...Became fry tanks. loll.

 

[gwand]

One hospital/QT tank. My fry are sharing a tank with my neocaridina.

 

[Sparx]

I have an empty tank ready… but it isn’t set up

 

[MattW]

I have a fluval flex in a cardboard box on standby if needed. I keep excess filter media in the filtration compartment in my paludarium. I also don't QT new fish anymore (controversial I know ) But I trust my LFS as they have a 2-week QT period themselves.

 

[emeraldking]

I've got two steady quarantine tank... So, I can act very fast in case of need.

 

[Uberhoust]

I only have extra tanks, none are setup. How do you keep up the cycle, add ammonia from time to time. I have always setup my tanks with plants, never done a fishless cycle.

 

[Magnum Man]

Hell is paid with good intentions… bought 4 - 10 gallon tanks, with the intention of keeping one for medicating… one currently has Cherry Shrimp, one currently holds my little Amazon Puffer, one holds scuds, and one I’ve been trying to use as a grow out tank, currently holding a Spotted Silver Dollar, that is about a half inch too small small to go in with the Bichir… once I get it eating good, with the feeds I’m using, I may try it in the big tank… not sure how it will grow out in a 10 gallon tank

 

[Magnos]

Hell is paid with good intentions… bought 4 - 10 gallon tanks, with the intention of keeping one for medicating… one currently has Cherry Shrimp, one currently holds my little Amazon Puffer, one holds scuds, and one I’ve been trying to use as a grow out tank, currently holding a Spotted Silver Dollar, that is about a half inch too small small to go in with the Bichir… once I get it eating good, with the feeds I’m using, I may try it in the big tank… not sure how it will grow out in a 10 gallon tank

I absolutely have had 2. First one I had I made the mistake of using a ten gallon. When I put my black knight ram who had ick in there the tank must have had an amonia spike overnight. Now I use a 20 high. Luckily I haven't had to use it. My LFS (is 1.5 hours still local?) And dans fish have been great to me. No sick fish. I had that one outbreak of ick so I know it's present in at least one of my tanks (which means it's probably in all of them. Ick usually only infects fish in poor condition)

 

[Naughts]

No , I just set it up with sponge from the main tanks, a bit of sand, a few pebbles and excess plants, then do W/C every other day or so for Q and every day for H.
It’s a basic cheap tank and I wouldn’t want it cluttering up the house, plus I never have a problem with nitrogen using the method above. Doing the water changes is good practice for multiple reasons in these scenarios.

 

[Essjay]

My answer has to be yes and no.
Yes - I have a QT/hospital tank which I set up when needed using a lot of plants, mainly elodea (anacharis) as it's very cheap, and floating plants from my main tank. No - I don't have a hospital/QT permanently running. I'd never hear the end of it from my husband if there was another tank permanently running in addition to the main tank and shrimp tank.

 

[AJ356]

I ticked no, but multiple tank syndrome is your friend here, potentially.

Probably repeating others here.

I have spare tanks in the garden that would just need a quick hose down. I have spare heaters and air pumps. I've got 4 fully cycled, occupied tanks up and running, and 2 of those tanks have more internal filters on them than needed.

So ultimately, I have empty tanks, heaters, internal filters, and mature media to spare for an emergency or if I buy new fish to QT which is unlikely at this point.

 

[GaryE]

I have a multi-tank set up,and always run more filters than I need. I can pop one into a tank. But I also have fully running tanks with no fish. This is new, but since I live in a small city, I can no longer get the fish I want easily, so overcrowding is no issue. I keep plants in them, and don't worry about the cycle.
I won't use a hospital tank for external parasites, since they infect entire aquariums. So Ich, velvet, etc don't need fish removed. If you see them, the whole tank they're in has to be treated. That's a job for quarantine.
Technically, I can't get antibiotics. Practically, I can get them all via a black market. But I am not qualified to prescribe them by looking at fish, so I work the prevention angle. Bacterial infections are incredibly rare except in new arrivals.
My current quarantine tank is a 36 inch, 25 gallon, right beside the sink. I added 24 tetras to it 2 weeks ago (all are well) and to cope with any cycle questions, I do extra water changing on it. It works.
I would never QT in a bare tank. I have gravel, and Vallisneria since here, it grows like crazy and I regularly have to throw plants in the compost. If we accept that stress is a major contributor to diseases taking hold (and it seems to be) then a lot of hospital tanks and quarantine tanks kill fish. They are set up to look like store tanks - bare, with no hiding places or cover. For the small fish I like, such tanks would be places of terror.
I get two fish shipments per year, on average. One box, from dealers 10 hours' drive away. I recently found a store I liked, 4 hours' drive from here. If I want common fish, or their specialty, catfish, they could add to the arrivals list. There aren't a lot of "opportunities" to infect my fish. In that, I am kind of like a one tank aquarist who can only add so much, and isn't likely to quarantine. I quarantine religiously, and do so for 2 to 12 weeks - sometimes even forever.

 

[Kattyk062]

Permanent hospital or quarantine tanks are commonly used by fishkeepers, particularly those with large or diverse collections of fish. However, exact numbers are not readily available. These tanks are set up to isolate new or sick fish to prevent disease spread and to treat illnesses.

Here are some general insights:

1. Hobbyists and Aquarists: Many experienced fishkeepers, especially those with large or valuable collections, maintain a permanent quarantine or hospital tank. This helps in preventing diseases from spreading to their main tanks.
2. Public Aquariums and Zoos: Institutions with extensive fish collections often have dedicated quarantine facilities as a standard part of their operation.
3. Research Facilities: Laboratories and research institutions that study fish also maintain permanent quarantine or hospital tanks to ensure the health of their specimens.

 

[GaryE]

@Kattyk062 I don't think anyone was looking for an AI definition. What's your set up? What do you do?