Quarantine Tank Question

[bobcatman]

Hello everybody! My 1st post here. After a 15+ year hiatus from fishkeeping, I've gotten back into the hobby with a little 10 gallon fish tank for my classroom. I'm looking to get a larger aquarium for my home. While researching fishkeeping I'm reading about the importance of quarantine tanks for new fish. I found an old 5 gallon aquarium that I got a few years ago from a friend. I'm thinking I might be able to use it in the future as a quarantine tank. It has a small heater and undergravel filter.

Would I need to have the heater on and filter running when there are no fish inside? What do people do with quarantine tanks when they are not quarantining fish?

If I had to have an empty tank with the heat and filter on, I thik I'd be tempted to buy a betta and put the tank to to use.

thanks ahead of time.
Ken

 

[Tolak]

Leave the tank empty, run the filter on another tank to keep it cycled, or put a little media from one of your running cycled filters in the quar filter.

When you need the quar tank fill it with dechlored water of the proper temperature, add heater, filter with cycled media, and fish.

 

[Thunk]

Awsome I was wondering this myself as to how to keep the cycle alive. Good question! and Great answer