Using an uncycled hospital tank

[Moe]

Last week I inquired about uncycled hospital tanks. I talked to LFS and did a lot of research on the web and this is what I came up with. The best way to use a hospital tank is to keep an extra filter sponge in the main tank then you can use it in a hospital tank whenever you need it. But this does require some planning. The second option is to go with an uncycled hospital tank and do large water changes every day.

Here is how I did it:
I placed the sick fish, a swordtail with finrot in a 2.5 gallon tank that was not cycled and had no gravel. It has an in tank filter that uses an air pump. Every day before I added the new meds I would do a 50% water change. This was fairly easy because the tank is so small. I just took the whole tank to the sink. I checked the ammonia and nitrite levels every day before I changed the water and they were always 0. The fish has been in there for 8 days now and the fin has healed nicely.

This worked great for me because I have rams in the main tank that can be sensitive to meds. Secondly it can cost a ton of money to treat a large tank and you run the risk of killing off your good bacteria. Now I am going to pack up the hospital tank and put it in the closet until I need it again. If anyone tries this method let me know your results.

 

[peter101]

good to hear it worked out well for oyu

 

[ketyana]

Thanks for that posting, I have started a hospital tank last week, I also have an air pump driven filter, in a 3 gallon tank and did post to ask advice at the time

I have a small bag of gravel in my main tanl to move over and have popped the sponge to the hospital tank filter in the main tank, just behind the heater in the hopes it will gather good bugs

Every day before I added the new meds I would do a 50% water change. This was fairly easy because the tank is so small. I just took the whole tank to the sink.

Can I ask what water you put in there each day? was it straight from the tap, treated or from the main tank?

 

[Moe]

I used water straight from the tap. I used a water conditionator called stress coat with the water. I didn't use any sponge 1st because I didn't have one and second a lot of antibiotics will kill the bacteria anyway. When there is only one fish in there for a reletivly short period of time, and with the large water changes, the ammonia does not build up.

 

[bettabuddy]

I keep a 5G. Hospital tank setup at all times. It has a corner box filter powered with an air pump. The tank is bare bottom. I bought two male "feeder guppies" and keep them in the tank at all times. Whenever I use the tank for quarantine/sick fish, I put in a used filter pad from my 55G.
Never had any cycling problems with the tank. The 5G. has been set up for almost a year with the same pair of guppies. I find it more convenient to keep the tank going at all times.