Hospital Tank

[Mako Man111]

Ok, I currently have my betta in a 5 gallon tank, but I have a tiger barb that has just recently come down with a mouth fungus in my 20 gallon tank. I don't want to treat the entire tank but I don't have a hospital tank to use at the moment. I may have a solution though. I am going to go the petsmart and pick up a 5 gallon hexagonal tank for my betta, and then move my sick tiger barb to the 5 gallon to treat with Maracyn. Now my question is, do I have to keep this 5 gallon "hospital tank" up and running or should I just fill it up when needed? Cause in order to keep it cycled I would have to keep some fish in it

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You will need a filter and heater for the tank- you can cycle the new filter quickly by running it alongside your current one in your main tank for a week, but you should really treat the barb as soon as posible- is there any particular reason why you do not want to treat the whole tank? What med are you using ?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

No, you do not need to cycle a hospital tank. In fact it is a waste of time in many cases as the meds will also kill the bacteria. Fill it with treated water, add a heater and either an airstone or a sponge filter. The latter is a better choice as it will remove mech waste as well as aggitate the surface. Wait until the temp in the H tank matches the temp in the tank with the sick fish and then move it over. Add the meds and then, if needed, raise the H tank temp. I also add a couple of plastic plants and a rock or similar decor to help the fish feel more comfortable.

When you have finished the treament, sterilize everything using bleach. This includes decor, filtration, heater etc. I normally just throw out the sponge part of the sponge filter and replace it. That is because a good bleach dip usually degrades the sponge.

If your fish has fungus, I think Maroxy is a better choice of med than Maracyn. However, these two meds can be mixed with out interactive side effects.

 

[Mako Man111]

You will need a filter and heater for the tank- you can cycle the new filter quickly by running it alongside your current one in your main tank for a week, but you should really treat the barb as soon as posible- is there any particular reason why you do not want to treat the whole tank? What med are you using ?

Well, I got my betta tank and currently have my betta in a 1 gallon bowl while his nice new tank settles and warms up. I've used the same gravel as in the tank he was in before and added some filter media from my 20 to give the cycle a jump start in his tank. Now my other 5 gallon is free and I have a filter and heater for it, I just have to fill it up with water and then I'll be treating the barb with maracyn.(all they had at the store ) So after i'm all done treating him I'll just take the tank down and clean it throughly.


Oh, and I don't want to treat the whole tank as none of the other fish have symptoms and it would really be a waste of meds (they can be $$$).

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

No, you do not need to cycle a hospital tank. In fact it is a waste of time in many cases as the meds will also kill the bacteria. Fill it with treated water, add a heater and either an airstone or a sponge filter. The latter is a better choice as it will remove mech waste as well as aggitate the surface. Wait until the temp in the H tank matches the temp in the tank with the sick fish and then move it over. Add the meds and then, if needed, raise the H tank temp. I also add a couple of plastic plants and a rock or similar decor to help the fish feel more comfortable.

When you have finished the treament, sterilize everything using bleach. This includes decor, filtration, heater etc. I normally just throw out the sponge part of the sponge filter and replace it. That is because a good bleach dip usually degrades the sponge.

If your fish has fungus, I think Maroxy is a better choice of med than Maracyn. However, these two meds can be mixed with out interactive side effects.

Not all meds kill filter bacteria at all, in fact most don't. It if ends up taking weeks to treat the fish, the least thing you want is having it in a cycling tank, where the unstable water quality conditions will stress the fish out no end making it difficult to treat it. I don't know if maracyn harms filtration, but if it does it will say on the packet.

You will need a filter and heater for the tank- you can cycle the new filter quickly by running it alongside your current one in your main tank for a week, but you should really treat the barb as soon as posible- is there any particular reason why you do not want to treat the whole tank? What med are you using ?

Well, I got my betta tank and currently have my betta in a 1 gallon bowl while his nice new tank settles and warms up. I've used the same gravel as in the tank he was in before and added some filter media from my 20 to give the cycle a jump start in his tank. Now my other 5 gallon is free and I have a filter and heater for it, I just have to fill it up with water and then I'll be treating the barb with maracyn.(all they had at the store ) So after i'm all done treating him I'll just take the tank down and clean it throughly.


Oh, and I don't want to treat the whole tank as none of the other fish have symptoms and it would really be a waste of meds (they can be $$$).