Questions re: quarantine/hospital tanks. Set up all the time?

[MammaBearinTN]

I have purchased a 30G long tank for my community tank, and an auxillary 10G tank for quarantine and hospital use.

1) Do you keep your auxillary tank running all the time?
2) And if so, do you put anything in it when not used for medical treatment or quarantine?
3) When not in use, would it be ok to keep a male betta in the tank? I could move him to a temporary 1 or 2 gallon tank when the tank is needed.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Slaphppy7]

It would be fine with a male betta, as long as you can move him when you need to...he'll help keep the BB colony fed, and alive.
I keep a couple of 5.5G QT tanks running, feed them a drop or two of pure ammonia every so often, when there are no fish in them.

 

[raylove]

I have a 10 gallon quarantine tank. I don't keep it set up all the time. It has a very small HOB filter and I keep the sponge from that in the canister filter in my main tank so it's primed and ready to go when I need it. I half fill the QT with water from the main tank and top off with tap water, add the sponge plus an 'instant start' agent (whichever one I have or can get). I have never had any issues or lost a fish in quarantine using this method.
Keeping a Betta would seem OK and would keep the bacteria alive, however you might still want to boost it the way I do if adding several fish for quarantine, as it might represent a large increase in the bioload.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

If I had the space for one I might leave it running all the time. I have a spare 10 gallon tank with a spare filter and tons of heaters lying around. When I get new fish going forward I'll set up as a quarantine tank or use as a hospital tank as needed. I have enough established filter media to pop into it whenever needed.

If you have it set up and running all the time, you'd just have to figure out the ammonia source (sounds like you have the betta in mind) and there's the extra work of the weekly water changes and general maintenance.

 

[MammaBearinTN]

It would be fine with a male betta, as long as you can move him when you need to...he'll help keep the BB colony fed, and alive.
I keep a couple of 5.5G QT tanks running, feed them a drop or two of pure ammonia every so often, when there are no fish in them.

Thanks. I really do need to buy some ammonia. Where do I get it?

 

[MammaBearinTN]

I have a 10 gallon quarantine tank. I don't keep it set up all the time. It has a very small HOB filter and I keep the sponge from that in the canister filter in my main tank so it's primed and ready to go when I need it. I half fill the QT with water from the main tank and top off with tap water, add the sponge plus an 'instant start' agent (whichever one I have or can get). I have never had any issues or lost a fish in quarantine using this method.
Keeping a Betta would seem OK and would keep the bacteria alive, however you might still want to boost it the way I do if adding several fish for quarantine, as it might represent a large increase in the bioload.

Thanks. My 10G is an aqueon kit which came with a hob and a heater, so I think this would work.

If I had the space for one I might leave it running all the time. I have a spare 10 gallon tank with a spare filter and tons of heaters lying around. When I get new fish going forward I'll set up as a quarantine tank or use as a hospital tank as needed. I have enough established filter media to pop into it whenever needed.

If you have it set up and running all the time, you'd just have to figure out the ammonia source (sounds like you have the betta in mind) and there's the extra work of the weekly water changes and general maintenance.

With one beta in a 10 gallon, and no live plants to care for, I believe that maintenance is going to be very easy, so I'd just as soon keep it running.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks. I really do need to buy some ammonia. Where do I get it?

I use the Ace Hardware ammonia, it's pure, no additives...

 

[MammaBearinTN]

I use the Ace Hardware ammonia, it's pure, no additives...

Thanks!