Hospital Tank

[SouthernCross]

Hey everyone

I picked up a cheap set up today at Big W (Aussie equivalent of Walmart I think ) intending to use it as a hospital tank/breeding tank (when I have fry I want to save). It's 18.5 litres (worked that out to be slightly less than 5 gallon) It is a bowfront, with dimensions 17.5" long, 13" tall, but only just 5" wide at the sides and 6.5" wide at the largest part of the bow (the width part worries me a bit). The had other hex setups but were much smaller and I figured length was more important - this was the biggest they had.

I've read the sticky about hospital tanks and it recommends 10 gallons....so I was wondering will this one be okay or should I take it back and get something larger elsewhere?

I have a community tank - I have platies, cories currently, hope to get some tetras, gouramis (smaller ones), more cories, otos and maybe an angel in the future. Since they're all relatively small fish would this be a suitable hospital set up or too small? I didn't know if 10 gallons was more to cover catering for larger fish like African cichlids, etc.

What size hospital tanks are you guys running?

Thanks Please respond so I can take it back if its terribly unsuitable.

P.S. The generic instructions on this thing are TERRIBLE - e.g. "leave the pump and filter running for 24 hours before introducing fish" - and recommends GOLDFISH! Good grief! I'm afraid to even look at the "Beginner's Guide to Goldfish" inside...containing vital nuggets such as 'how many goldfish to start with'..aaargh. The picture on the box shows EIGHT. Sorry to get sidetracked...just had to vent!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

depends a little what you plan on doing. we've a couple of spare tanks to use for hospital tanks if appropriate. a 5g hex which is fine for any tetra type size small fish, and a 3 foot 25ish g one for the bigger fish. if you've no fish over 2/3" then 5g should be fine as a temporary home.

for breeding it totally depends on the species, they all have different requirements so it's impossible to say in any generic way if it's suitable as a breeding tank!

you have to remember when it's a hospital situation you need maximum stability, the larger the tank and the more understocked it is the more stable it will be. So with a 5g tank you may find you need to do more maintenance to keep things tip top than you would with a 10g, but if your fish is that sick then you'll probably find you want to be doing stuff with the tank and checking thigns every day anyway so the extra maintenance shouldn't be a problem. It's only temporary after all.

 

[SouthernCross]

I probably shouldn't have necessarily said 'breeding tank' - I won't be putting fish in there alone to breed, or actively trying to get things to breed in the main tank, but you know, if it happens (which when you have platies, it inevitably does! ) I'm all for saving a few fry before they get eaten, either for friends or to add to my own group once they grow up. It would probably only be my platies and maybe my cories that I might get surprises from (tetras are hard to breed right? Only want to keep male gouramis if I go dwarfs, and a single angel) but that's all I meant by 'breeding tank' - somewhere for a few babies to safely grow up. I mainly wanted a hospital/quarantine tank (had an issue with a sick fish before - learnt I should have a hospital!) and figured when it was empty (hopefully most of the time!) it'd be somewhere I could raise some fry if I wanted.

I guess with my stocking - the only fish I might have issues putting in there is an angel once it's grown large - or if I get larger gouramis (e.g. blue or pearl - 4-5"). It's the width that's worrying me - the fish being able to turn around comfortably at each end - or is it less of a deal than I'm imagining and they can get by with less turning space then what I'm thinking?

Argh, I really don't know about this tank now. I mean it LOOKS biggish - tall and long - just not wide. I don't really have a ton of space around for multiple tanks (unfortunately!)

Please respond with your thoughts guys

 

[Miss Wiggle]

minimum tank size for big fish to allow room for turning is 4xfish lengthx1.5x1.5, i think that rule apply's fairly well for any fish in a quarntine tank. so if for example you wanted to put a 4" gourami in a hospital tank, the smallest you want is 16"x6"x6" to give turning room and a little swimming space.

 

[SouthernCross]

Hmm, well it definitely won't work if I get any bigger fish than 2-3".

You know what? I think I'll keep it anyway - if it doesn't work for the fish I end up with as a quarantine - I'll turn it into a betta tank. It's probably perfect for that, and I've been thinking about getting a betta anyway! Maybe with a couple of bottom dwellers too.

Then if I find something wider and more suitable for quarantine, I'll have an excuse then to buy ANOTHER tank! Perfect plan!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

he he he he he mts is setting in

 

[SouthernCross]

Yes indeed! Rapid onset, that mts....

Only trouble is convincing the elders why I need to clutter up our downstairs room with MORE tanks - I had enough fun convincing them that I NEEDED a quarantine tank for when I have sick fish...lol. I can see it now...

Me: I need a new quarantine tank.
Them: I thought that's what the other one was???
Me: But I put fish in it!

On a side note - do you think a trio of the smaller cories would be ok in that size tank with a betta? They seem to be an acceptable betta tank mate from what I've read but I know that would be slightly overstocking according to the inch/gallon rule, and cories like to be with a few buddies....
Thoughts anyone?

Haha, I think I've just about convinced myself it's betta material...

 

[Miss Wiggle]

pygmy cories would be ok, they only get to 3/4 of an inch. look for c pygmaeus, c hastatus or c hasbrosus

 

[piper]

minimum tank size for big fish to allow room for turning is 4xfish lengthx1.5x1.5, i think that rule apply's fairly well for any fish in a quarntine tank. so if for example you wanted to put a 4" gourami in a hospital tank, the smallest you want is 16"x6"x6" to give turning room and a little swimming space.

I agree, a large foot print is more important. This is why I have a 18"x18"x6" (LxDxH) tank for my hospital/fry tank. I would be happy to keep all my fish in there (mollies, rainbows, gouramis etc) with the exception of my angel. I would get a betta and a new hopstial tank . I made mine for about £27 including silicone etc

 

[Biulu]

On a side note - do you think a trio of the smaller cories would be ok in that size tank with a betta? They seem to be an acceptable betta tank mate from what I've read but I know that would be slightly overstocking according to the inch/gallon rule, and cories like to be with a few buddies....
Thoughts anyone?

One betta with 3 small cories should be ok. On the quarantine tank: I just put my betta in a jar, and used his 9 litre tank for my sick dwarf gourami. Although it might sound a bit small, at least it is cycled!

 

[SouthernCross]

One betta with 3 small cories should be ok. On the quarantine tank: I just put my betta in a jar, and used his 9 litre tank for my sick dwarf gourami. Although it might sound a bit small, at least it is cycled!

Hmm, good point! I have an old fishbowl around somewhere, I guess if I was desperate I could shift the betta into that (have to make a lid out of something) and the cories into my main tank while I treated a fish in the betta tank. This one is 18.5L, so it should do the job for MOST fish, as long as they're not big fish that its not wide enough for. Thanks!

agree, a large foot print is more important. This is why I have a 18"x18"x6" (LxDxH) tank for my hospital/fry tank. I would be happy to keep all my fish in there (mollies, rainbows, gouramis etc) with the exception of my angel. I would get a betta and a new hopstial tank . I made mine for about £27 including silicone etc

Well, you've pretty much convinced me to get a betta instead of taking it back! I'll do what Biulu suggested above (if required) until I find a better hospital tank. I'll look around to try and find a good deal - aquariums and setups/supplies are SO expensive in Australia. *sigh*. In the sticky thread it says you should be able to get a 10 gallon setup for like $20 - - here not a chance!

 

[cuticom]

Hey can I ask which Big W you got it from? how much? and do you have any pics?

LOl so far all I've found at Big W's is a hex type tank which looks quite nice but costs way to much and those weird circular "goldfish" tanks that don't ahve any filters etc.

I really need a new Q tank as have a bubby goldy coming soon and no where to quarantine him.

 

[SouthernCross]

Hey cuticom, I've PM'd you some details

 

[Birdie]

he he he he he mts is setting in

my first thoughts precisely.
Thanks for the info re turning sizes etc, Miss Wiggle. I know I really must get a hospital/Q tank myself - but I know if I mention the words "hospital tank" to my husband at the moment, he'll probably need one himself

SouthernCross - I think your new set-up sounds like delightful quarters for a betta