A kind of expensive approach

[GaryE]

Every aquarist needs somewhere to quarantine new arrivals, and to treat them if they show treatable problems. But what's a QT tank?

It's an aquarium where the fish can live at a low level of stress for several weeks. It isn't a 2 gallon, or a container almost guaranteed to kill a healthy arrival. It has cycled filtration (many experienced aquarists add an extra filter to an established tank and move it over when they buy. They clean it and start it again when the process is done). It is at the right temperature. It has a decor that give fish cover, but that won't interfere with medication.

it offers better conditions than a chain pet store would.

Yup, it's a second tank. You have to be able to resist making it a permanent set up, or not. If you can't, it's a third tank.

 

[Wills]

Every aquarist needs somewhere to quarantine new arrivals, and to treat them if they show treatable problems. But what's a QT tank?

It's an aquarium where the fish can live at a low level of stress for several weeks. It isn't a 2 gallon, or a container almost guaranteed to kill a healthy arrival. It has cycled filtration (many experienced aquarists add an extra filter to an established tank and move it over when they buy. They clean it and start it again when the process is done). It is at the right temperature. It has a decor that give fish cover, but that won't interfere with medication.

it offers better conditions than a chain pet store would.

Yup, it's a second tank. You have to be able to resist making it a permanent set up, or not. If you can't, it's a third tank.

I don't have one at the moment but seriously considering it as my tank collection grows. I've always wondered how you keep the filters cycled on them, is it just a case of having it sit in a mature tank for a month or so before use? I tend to stock my tanks slowly now so I could simply move quarantined fish to the display, clean down and out to buy the next until the display tank is complete.

Then of course you do have the temptation of an empty tank with a cycled filter.... but then you would need a quarantine tank for your quarantine tank haha!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Every aquarist needs somewhere to quarantine new arrivals, and to treat them if they show treatable problems. But what's a QT tank?

It's an aquarium where the fish can live at a low level of stress for several weeks. It isn't a 2 gallon, or a container almost guaranteed to kill a healthy arrival. It has cycled filtration (many experienced aquarists add an extra filter to an established tank and move it over when they buy. They clean it and start it again when the process is done). It is at the right temperature. It has a decor that give fish cover, but that won't interfere with medication.

it offers better conditions than a chain pet store would.

Yup, it's a second tank. You have to be able to resist making it a permanent set up, or not. If you can't, it's a third tank.

I QT’d my sunrise dottyback when I first got it, and it nearly killed the thing. It was in a 5G, fully cycled and heated, with plenty of hiding places. Never again will I QT a fish, it’s just too dang stressful for them.

 

[GaryE]

Then of course you do have the temptation of an empty tank with a cycled filter.... but then you would need a quarantine tank for your quarantine tank haha!

And how did my fishroom become a room....

What kind of filter you prep depends on the fish you want. I use sponge filters, air driven, so a couple of tanks have a couple of filters running. I just switch them over as needed, which isn't often. I figure that if I go for something that needs water flow, the sponge can filter and feed a HOB. Every QT set up is different, depending on the fish.

A good solution is to get and set up more tanks than you need, and as you get or breed new fish, slowly fill them as single species tanks. Works for me!

I have zero saltwater experience to talk about sunrise dottybacks, but I have never used a 5 for QT. It's cramped, even for 7cm fish. You want a QT to be as good as the permanent tank, as an environment, minus plants in freshwater. Even there, expendable plants are good. You may have to medicate, hence the avoidance of the planted tank. I stock very lightly, and a 10 gallon is for 3-4 1.5 inch fish at most for me. I QT in 15s and 20s.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I don't have one at the moment but seriously considering it as my tank collection grows. I've always wondered how you keep the filters cycled on them, is it just a case of having it sit in a mature tank for a month or so before use? I tend to stock my tanks slowly now so I could simply move quarantined fish to the display, clean down and out to buy the next until the display tank is complete.

Then of course you do have the temptation of an empty tank with a cycled filter.... but then you would need a quarantine tank for your quarantine tank haha!

If you have other mature (cycled) tanks going, always keep a netted extra bag of filter media in your filters

When you set up the QT, move the extra bag from the cycled tank to the QT tank when you add fish...you can do this with deco from established tanks, as well

QT tanks don't necessarily need to stay cycled, all of the time, provided you have cycled media in other tanks that you can "borrow"...just be sure to test params after adding new fish, and perform WCs if necessary

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Or, you get yourself a bottle of Dr. Time's One and Only and put it in the fridge. it stays good for about a year. When you knpow uyou will be getting new fish set up and new tankl, use the Dr. Tim's to cycle it fast and you are set.

I pretty much will not add new fish to almost any tank without quarentining. I have tanks that hold fish worth $1,000s. I am not risking them becuase I am not smart enough to quarantine the new box of 50 cent tetras I want to add to a tank. I have fish that I got 20 years ago still with me. No way I risk them by not using a Q tank.

Finally. if a new fish is farmed or tank raised my Q is 30 days. For wild fish it is 90. And that means consecutive days without any issues. If I have to medicate/treat, the time restarts when and if the fish recovers.

Both time I had to deal with ich fish died. once without Q (DOH!) and ince in Q.

A proper Q tank does not kill fish.