Setting up a Quarantine Tank

[LongNY]

Once my main tank has cycled.... I want to set up a small 2.5 or 5 gallon tank as a Quarantine Tank to keep new fish/plants for a 2 week break-in period before introducing them to my Main Tank....I was thinking of taking the small filter, a Duetto 100, and starting it in my Main Tank, so that I can help with the cycling of the Quarantine Tank... is this a good idea or does anyone have a better idea?

Thanks,
John NYC

 

[foty89]

That would work, except that once you put it in the smaller tank, the bacteria will die as there will be no bio load in it for them to eat off. Now you can still do this, but you have to put the filter in only when you have stock in the tank.

An option I am considering for the same thing is to use Emperor 400's in my big tank and an Emperor 280 in the small tank and just change our the biowheel every few days or so.

I suppose that you could also feed the tank with ammonia, along the same lines and a fishless cycle, but I would not know how much to feed it.

 

[Tolak]

Just leave the small filter running on the larger tank until you need it. If it runs for 3 months waiting for you to get new fish in, it won't hurt anything. When you get new fish, just fill the smaller tank & add the smaller filter. I usually fill with half tank water from a larger tank & half fresh. When quar is over, add the fish to the larger tank, put the smaller filter on the larger tank, drain the smaller tank until your next purchase.

Tolak

 

[LongNY]

Excellent idea and procedure Tolak.....thanks very much.... John NYC

 

[pendragon]

Yep, it is a fantastic idea to either:

1.) keep your quarantine/hospital filter running in your main tank, or

2.) keep some filter media for the quarantine/hospital in your main tank's filter

Either way works. I do the second option myself. I keep the sponge for my hospital tank's sponge filter in one of the supplemental media compartments of the filter on my main tank. When I need a hospital tank, I wag out the 10-gallon, fill it with (dechlorinated) water, put some gravel in it, put the media in the filter and - viola! - instant cycle. Remember though, that if you have sick fish in the little tank you won't want to put the filter media back in the big tank when you break the little one down again. Throw it away and put a new filter in the main tank to prepare for next time. You don't want to risk introducing whatever sickness the ill fish had into your main community.

Also, I'd encourage you to get a 10-gallon as opposed to a 2.5 or 5-gallon. Those are really just too small for most things to be minimally comfortable in, and a 10-gallon can still be had pretty inexpensively. You'll never regret getting a tank with slightly more space (after you've paid for it, anyway).

pendragon!

 

[foty89]

Another thing that you can do is use the hospital tank as a fry tank and/or a plant growing tank when not in use as a hospital tank. This gets you more use out of it. I also agree that bigger is better.

 

[LongNY]

Wow all of this information is great..thanks everyone..... Right now, I want to use it as a holding tank for new fish/plants. Would love to use a 10gal....price is not the issue..it's space....but I agree that bigger is always better.
Thanks again, John NYC