Quarantine Tank

[yabadaba]

Hi guys, in the past when I've had fish that have required treatment with medicines and now again in connection with one that has a condition that could potentially infect the whole tank, I've been advised to isolate the fish in question but have not had this facility to do this. I'd now like to setup what I believe is referred to as a quarantine tank, but am not sure how this is normally done.

From reading some posts here I get the impression that a small 'spare' tank is setup on an 'as and when is required' basis, but what about the need for the tank to be cycled? Or, should I always keep a smaller quarantine/isoaltion tank running, adding ammonia to feed the beneficial bacteria, when there are no patients resident? Basically, what's the normal setup?

 

[Rezatii]

It varies, some people keep an extra filter running at all times in another tank, some don't have a filter at all in their hospital tanks, because often you're changing water in the hospital tank so often that if there was any ammonia or nitrite it'd be gone in a few hours when you do the water change xD

-Rezz

 

[iffles]

as said above ^ by Rezz, usually you keep a sponge filter/the filter of your choice running in the main tank which has fish in it, so it is ready for transferral to the QT when needed, but the filter is cycled at all times
i'm getting a QT tank soon for my new setup - about 60L probably

 

[yabadaba]

It varies, some people keep an extra filter running at all times in another tank, some don't have a filter at all in their hospital tanks, because often you're changing water in the hospital tank so often that if there was any ammonia or nitrite it'd be gone in a few hours when you do the water change xD

-Rezz

Thanks. Do you think something as small as a rectangular 30 litre tank would be fit for purpose, given that I don't really have the room for anything much larger? The first inhabitant would be a red tail black shark that obviously needs something much larger as a permament home, though I'm guessing a small tank would be deemed okay just for short-term isolation purposes?

NB: I've actully got a spare Fluval U2 that I could put in my new 5ft tank (when it eventually completes cycling and is stocked) to keep it cycled.

 

[iffles]

if its a small specimen probably yes. are there any fish in your main tank atm?

otherwise you can just put him straight in because there aren't any fish in there to infect.

the u2 will work well, but might even be a bit too big!
it will filter well, but will probably decrease water capacity in the QT.

 

[yabadaba]

if its a small specimen probably yes. are there any fish in your main tank atm?

otherwise you can just put him straight in because there aren't any fish in there to infect.

He's about 3" now and is currently in a 110 litre tank (Juwel Rekord 800) with my other fish. I've now got a 5ft tank that he was due to move into, along with some of the others, but that isn't quite ready yet - very near the end of a fishless cycle. I'm more than happy to buy another tank specifically to be a 'hospital' tank and could probably go with a 60 litre one if I wasn't going to have it running all the time.

 

[Mikaila31]

Usually my quarantine tank runs uncycled, I always leave the filter in it on but usually there are no fish. When I do put fish in it I transfer mature media from one of my other tanks and put it in the filter of the quarantine tank. This instantly cycles it. You just have to learn how much media you need to fully cycle the quarantine tank. Theres really no rule for this, it depends on the bioload and amount of media in the other tank, and the bioload in the quarantine tank. These factors help determine how much media you need to take from the other tank to cycle the quarantine tank.

 

[iffles]

30L is fine for QT - just for medium-larger schooling fish/a large number you need a larger tank because they like to stick together in a school and get stressed if kept in ones or twos - hopefully you kno what i mean lol.
following the inch/gallon rule, he should be fine in a 30L as long as the surface area will provide enough oxygen, he can turn around comfortably and he will not outgrow it in his stay
often you will store the QT/hospital tank dry, but its up to you

 

[yabadaba]

Cheers guys. I'll pick up a tank tomorrow from my LFS - max of 60L, but quite possibly smaller. What I'll do then is fill the 'spare' Fluval U2 that I have with some of the media from the U3 in my current main tank and/or some from the Eheim 2080 that is filtering my new 5ft tank. Probably one of the pads from the U3 and some of the 'noodles' from the 2080. Hopefully, that will provide sufficient bacteria to cope with the one fish. I'll move a plant or two from one of the other tanks and I have a spare bag of gravel that I can use for the substrate. Add the shark and a dose of Myxazin and I'm sorted!

 

[iffles]

good luck
just make sure the U2 fits in the QT! lol