Quarentine Tank/hospital Tank - How Do You Set Them Up?

[minkymaid]

Hello Oh founts of all fish-knowledge!

I'd like to have a quarentine/hospital tank. Thing is I don't have enough room to keep a tank set up all the time 'just in case'.
Does any one know if it possible to use a filter that doesn't have a biological component so I can set the thing up quickly in an emergency, without having to wait for the beneficial bugs to do their work? If there are such filters - any recommendations? I know I could set up a small bio-filter in my main tank with an air pump but they're noisy and that would annoy the folk i live with (don't ask!). I'm able to use an airpump in the quarentine tank though as that would be in a different room, so air pumps aren't out, just a permanently running one in the main tank is. My fishes are the size of danios and corys so the tank itself wouldn't need to be huge - would it?
my fishes are v happy and healthy right now, so i want to make sure that the next ones (when I can finally make up my mind what they're to be) don't bring anything unexpected into the tank!
Thanks guys!
love minkymaid

 

[penguinpimp1990]

well you dont have to have a quarantine "tank". A different but suitable option is a rubber maid container. You can buy them in all gallonages and work the same way a glass tank would. They are perfect options for sumps, quarantine tanks, and any other fish thing that doesnt require a clear viewing walls. And you dont need an air pump, to tell you the truth they dont really work. The make bubbles, so newbs think "wow look at all those oxygen bubbles" these are in fact not oxygen. To supply oxygen into your tank all you need is surface agitation of the water, this supplies all the oxygen you need. Air pumps do make surface agitaion but the amount they make is so small its unmeasurable. Any filter makes surface agitation, but bio wheels seem to make the most. "Does any one know if it possible to use a filter that doesn't have a biological component so I can set the thing up quickly in an emergency, without having to wait for the beneficial bugs to do their work? If there are such filters - any recommendations?" HAAA where to start.... the beneficial bacteria must be established to remove ammonia from your water. If a filter doesnt have a biological compartment doesnt mean the bacteria wont colonize, It will just grow on other parts of the aquarium such as gravel and decor (and anything). If a filter doesnt have a biological compartment doesnt mean your tank is instantly cycled. The bacteria WILL in all cases grow in every single tank (to different degrees depending on bio load, filtration among many other factors.). The biological compartment makes a perfect spot for the bacteria to thrive/colonize, thus greatly improving water quality.

For a hospital tank your can replace the biological compartment for something such as ammo-chips, these do the same work as the bacteria, but are only a very short term solution for bacteria colonization. But for a hospital/quarantine tank it would be fine as fish wont be in there long and the bio load will/should be small.