Try-hard Quarantine Tank

[PlasticGalaxy]

23.03.2021
So on the 21st, I got a super small "kid's starter" tank from Pets at Home to kick off my quarantine tank. It's a 12 litre, 31.5 x 18.5 x 13cm and should be just right. Probably just going to use a hang on filter with those janky cartridges if the filter the tank came with proves useless.
I'm not really one to half-heartedly do things, so it was only inevitable that I'd try to be over the top with a quarantine tank of all things.
Not sure what I'm going to use as a stand just yet... Going to decorate the tank with ugly novelty decorations. Who knows, maybe I'll really tick off some people on here and get rainbow gravel and a unicorn ornament.

If anyone has any recommendations for the tank, please let me know. I've never made a quarantine tank before so I don't really know if there are any special requirements or do's-and-don'ts that I should be following. Again, let me know if you have any advice or tips. Anything to make this easier on me would be greatly appreciated lol.

One thing I am wondering is whether or not you can make a planted quarantine tank? Really, a quarantine tank is just a tank you hold fish in until you put them in the main tank(s), so I can't see why it would be an issue. Either way, teach me some things if there's anything you feel I should know about.

The tank came with it's own backdrop and fun stickers, by the way! Isn't that fun? I'll be switching the backing out for something else eventually.

 

[Slaphppy7]

QT tanks certainly can be planted.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

QT tanks certainly can be planted.

Fantastic.

 

[Neleono]

Lol, love that tank! Like slaphppy said, they can be planted, but if you plan on using it as a hospital tank also, many meds and treatments can kill off plants, so go with some hardy ones. If you only plan to make is a quarantine tank though, plants would be great. Best of luck!

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Lol, love that tank! Like slaphppy said, they can be planted, but if you plan on using it as a hospital tank also, many meds and treatments can kill off plants, so go with some hardy ones. If you only plan to make is a quarantine tank though, plants would be great. Best of luck!

Haha I forgot about hospital tanks... I think for one of those I'll get a nano tank and pray that my pleco doesn't get sick in his senior years. Since I don't think a 20 inch sailfin would be fitting in a BiOrb too easily. Thanks for the heads-up though!

 

[Circus]

Nothing wrong with unicorns and rainbows, lol. I hope you get a kick out of decorating it.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Nothing wrong with unicorns and rainbows, lol. I hope you get a kick out of decorating it.

Haha, I'm sure I will! Sometimes having a garish looking tank with little unicorn decorations is just what you need.

 

[Circus]

Haha, I'm sure I will! Sometimes having a garish looking tank with little unicorn decorations is just what you need.

Now I really want a tank that looks like a planted meadow, and put one of those goofy looking plastic unicorns right in the middle. Maybe I will rescape a 10 gallon here soon.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Now I really want a tank that looks like a planted meadow, and put one of those goofy looking plastic unicorns right in the middle. Maybe I will rescape a 10 gallon here soon.

Ooh, that sounds great! Definitely make a journal on it if you get around to it. Wacky and intentionally silly looking tanks are always great fun in my opinion.

 

[Naughts]

I don't plant in my quarantine tank for fear off harbouring nasties. I put in excess floating plants and stem plants when I set it up then throw them out when the quarantine is finished. Other advantages of this transient planting are that they don't get overgrown... which means you can monitor the fish better and you don't need any/much substrate... which means its easier to keep sterile.
Having a temporary set up also reduces the temptation to fill it with fish permanently!

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

I don't plant in my quarantine tank for fear off harbouring nasties. I put in excess floating plants and stem plants when I set it up then throw them out when the quarantine is finished. Other advantages of this transient planting are that they don't get overgrown... which means you can monitor the fish better and you don't need any/much substrate... which means its easier to keep sterile.
Having a temporary set up also reduces the temptation to fill it with fish permanently!

Ooh that's true... I'll weigh up my choices. Need to figure out what I'll put the tank on first to be honest. I don't have a stand and my dad is insisting that I can just put it down on the floor. Not overly fond of that idea.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Asking a general question for people who have this thread watched, do you keep your quarantine tanks up all the time or do you take it down each time you finish quarantining new fish?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Asking a general question for people who have this thread watched, do you keep your quarantine tanks up all the time or do you take it down each time you finish quarantining new fish?

Mine stays up and running.

 

[Essjay]

Mine lives in the shed when it's not in use.

I used to steal media from the main tank when I set it up but last but one time I did that I discovered there were virtually no bacteria in the media. So last time I used it I took the last of the water sprite from my main tank (I was gradually replacing it with frogbit) and bought 2 bunches of elodea when I got the fish. I threw the plants away once the fish ere moved. I never saw a trace of ammonia or nitrite all the time the fish were in there.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Mine lives in the shed when it's not in use.

I used to steal media from the main tank when I set it up but last but one time I did that I discovered there were virtually no bacteria in the media. So last time I used it I took the last of the water sprite from my main tank (I was gradually replacing it with frogbit) and bought 2 bunches of elodea when I got the fish. I threw the plants away once the fish ere moved. I never saw a trace of ammonia or nitrite all the time the fish were in there.

Do quarantine tanks not have to be established/cycled for when you put new fish in then?