QTs don’t have to be ugly/boring

bgarthe · Jul 3, 2026

Keeping QTs going all the time can be made more interesting with a background, thin layer of substrate, and a silk plant or two. My fish room has 8 tanks, two of which are actual QTs, but looking at all 8, one would probably not even notice. These pics are of my 10g QT…..I also maintain a 5.5g QT. Plus, when not in actual quarantine use, I get to watch the antics of the corycats…..see Pic 1.

Pic 1
I have mentioned before that I keep and maintain QTs 24/7. Having “ready to use in a moments notice” tanks is ideal for many reasons. When I don’t have fish in actual quarantine, I keep a group of Corycats in the tank to keep the biology going. In addition to the HOB for each QT, I have a sponge filter in each. The sponge filters are good for both providing water movement/aeration in the QT and are ideal to take and plop into a hospital tank should the need arise.

Yes, at the bottom is a special half log that has a hole ontop. This is for the Corycats to use for hiding and the hole is for getting the Cory food directly to them without the fish in quarantine eating the sinking pellets first……see Pic 2. This is done with a 16” or so thin tube that I insert into the hole and then put the pellets in the tube top to sink down into the hole before getting eaten…….see Pic 3. I have such half logs in all my tanks as the Corycats need more than just scrap leftovers. :nod:

The tubes for the 75g and 55g tanks are longer than 16”.

Pic 2

Pic 3
Since I am a big QT believer/user, I thought I’d make the best out of maintaining them 24/7. :fish:

I’m also hoping that such a QT is a bit more welcoming and less stressful for the new arrivals. Hey…..to be honest, in addition, these QTs are another tank of fish I get to enjoy until the fish move on into a bigger tank and some others take their place. :hyper:

fishorama · Jul 3, 2026

I agree! I, when I had a QT, used to have a thin layer of sand, a couple rocks & some live plants I wouldn't mind trashing. The problem was they often turned into permanent tanks for small fish, lol

GaryE · Jul 6, 2026

I know my fishroom is a luxury compared to the space most fishkeepers have. But it allows me to quarantine every fish that comes in. I don't expect them to be ill, because I only buy from tried and true sellers if I buy sight unseen.
All fish from farms get 6 weeks to 3 months of QT. It is reasonable to expect trouble from farmed fish, although it seems things have recently improved there.
Wild caught fish get 4 weeks. They're generally healthier and have fewer potential issues.

My QT tanks aren't standard. They all have substrates, and are all normally planted. I don't expect to have to medicate, and haven't had to treat any new fish for a number of years. That doesn't mean I ignore the need. It'll happen again, but hopefully with a simple to treat external parasite like Ich. Bacterial or viral diseases aren't easy to beat in any set up.

Almost all of my fish live in single species tanks anyway, and in many cases, the fish live on in the QT for their forever. The exception is tetras, which tend to move into communities once I have had a chance to see if they're "clean". So I try to make my QTs pleasing to the eye. I'll never be an aquatic gardener, but...

gwand · Jul 6, 2026

I employ a 20 gallon long for quarantine. It has black sand substrate and plastic plants. When it is time to transfer the fish to a permanent tank I remove the artificial plants so netting the fish is easier.

Boundava · Jul 8, 2026

I have kept my QT tanks bare boned for a couple reasons:

I don't keep one set up, only as needed.
I usually use tubs, not actual glass tanks.
The less in the tank the less chance for anything to linger...also less for me to "disinfect" for the next "as-needed" use.

bgarthe · Jul 8, 2026

Agreed…..
I use tubs at times and glass tanks.
I have “bare-boned” hospital tanks when needed…..often plastic tubs for this need. My QTs are generally just used for a place to put generally healthy looking fish I hope to add to my display tanks. Since I keep extra sponge filters going, if I see trouble at arrival or later on while in QT, I plop that fish or fishes into a hospital tank that I can set up in a matter of minutes.
My QT goal is simply to protect the healthy big display tanks/fish by NOT ever putting new fish right into these tanks wo going through a period of observation and gentle “prevent” meds. No matter the QT material, decor, or filtration, all new fish will be scrutinized. I owe it to the display fish that went through QT, are apparently healthy, and are free from Ich. Increasing the odds of having to treat my 75g tank for Ich or anything else is not a part of my plan.

anewbie · Jul 8, 2026

bgarthe said:
Agreed…..
I use tubs at times and glass tanks.
I have “bare-boned” hospital tanks when needed…..often plastic tubs for this need. My QTs are generally just used for a place to put generally healthy looking fish I hope to add to my display tanks. Since I keep extra sponge filters going, if I see trouble at arrival or later on while in QT, I plop that fish or fishes into a hospital tank that I can set up in a matter of minutes.
My QT goal is simply to protect the healthy big display tanks/fish by NOT ever putting new fish right into these tanks wo going through a period of observation and gentle “prevent” meds. No matter the QT material, decor, or filtration, all new fish will be scrutinized. I owe it to the display fish that went through QT, are apparently healthy, and are free from Ich. Increasing the odds of having to treat my 75g tank for Ich or anything else is not a part of my plan.

I think that the various white-spot parasites are found in the water and it is more of a matter if the fishes get stressed or not. When i moved 3 years ago i tossed a bit too much into my 120 as i was moving - it was a local move and things got a bit hectic the last couple of months - so the 120 had a bit more than it shoudl have and water changes didn't occur regularly and so the tank developed white-spot disease - either ick or epsy - but all the fishes in there i had owned for at least 2 years .... obviously the stressed caused it and once the move was completed things got spread out back to their normal fish home but the point isn't about proper care or whatever it is that the parasite was just waiting for a chance to strike.... and strike it did ....

bgarthe · Jul 8, 2026

anewbie said:
I think that the various white-spot parasites are found in the water and it is more of a matter if the fishes get stressed or not. When i moved 3 years ago i tossed a bit too much into my 120 as i was moving - it was a local move and things got a bit hectic the last couple of months - so the 120 had a bit more than it shoudl have and water changes didn't occur regularly and so the tank developed white-spot disease - either ick or epsy - but all the fishes in there i had owned for at least 2 years .... obviously the stressed caused it and once the move was completed things got spread out back to their normal fish home but the point isn't about proper care or whatever it is that the parasite was just waiting for a chance to strike.... and strike it did ....

You started your post with “I think” and so I will respectfully start mine the same way.

I think, and agree, that epistylis is ever present and can, and does, flare up like you described. Such flare ups are, as I’ve read, many times brought on/induced by stress, immune system issues and illness. It does appear as a ‘white-spot’ condition like you stated.

Regarding this particular matter (Ich….another ‘white-spot’ condition), I must respectfully express a differing viewpoint.
Virtually everything I’ve read regarding Ich says that if it is not apparent in your tank for a long time, it is truly no longer there. It does not go dormant and flare up months or years later when the fish are stressed or immune weakened. Ich has to be introduced to the tank as I understand and Ich cannot go on indefinitely (months/years) without a host. Ich can be hard to see such as in the gills, and can (depending on water temps) last a while in a dormant or cyst stage, but will surely show itself before months or years elapse.

fishorama · Aug 16, 2026

I agree with bgarthe, ich doesn't just "show up" & small amounts can live hidden in gills for a while before it shows. Epistylis is something I may have had, & like many, assumed it was ich or something else wrong. That wasn't a "thing" we knew to look for. Some diseases like chronic columnaris can show up from changes in temp, stress, water conditions, etc. Kind of like some algae, it's always around but only in the "right" conditions does it cause an outbreak.

My only trouble with using tubs or opaque QTs is not being able to see the fish well enough to judge any problems. I've been known to study fish in a shop tank for longer than seems reasonable, lol. But I'm looking for subtle issues. Not just ich but swimming problems, fin health, social interactions of ALL the fish in the tank. More in tanks on a shared filtration system. I also prefer to buy younger, smaller fish when possible. Adults may be near their end of life or at least breeding possibilities (always a tiny hope).