What Size Is Your Hosp/quar Tank?

[coldcazzie]

I currently don't have one, but am planning on getting one soon - have been offered one from my mum which is her old one which is approx 15" x 12" x 9", but I also have a tank in my cellar which is 24" x 12" x 15".

Was wondering what sizes people use for their hospital/quarantine tanks - ie, do you have several and tailor to the size of the fish (small for small fish, large for large etc) or just a one size fits all policy?

Also what do you do if you get a fish that is technically too large for the tank, or a number of fish that would be seen as overcrowding? Do you quarantine for less time or try to find another tank instead?

 

[zuulan]

I use a 45ltr Orb. Not sure how suitable it is for larger fish. I couldn't wait to get my 3 clown loaches out of it, even thought they were very small. So with a large Rainbow shark I bought, I just put him straight into a main tank. Luckily everything was fine.

I guess the larger the QT the better. But do you have to keep running the QT for filter bacteria reasons even when you don't have any fish for it???

 

[rdd1952]

Mine is 5 gallon. I keep smaller fish so I really don't need anything large for a q-tank and have been fortunate enough to not ever have a disease problem to need a hospital tank.

 

[coldcazzie]

Got the tank today and turns out its actually 18x10x10. But that is still about the same water vol as I'd calculated for the other measurements - about 28L or 7.5 US gallons. It will be alright for quarantining corydoras and tetras and probably the rainbow shark too assuming its a baby baby one, but not sure either of my angels would be too happy in it! Never mind. they'll just have to not get sick!

Unfortunately it doesn't have a heater or filter with it so am going to have to buy a 50W heater and have made a filter out of a cut up water bottle, some gravel and sponge, and the air in/out bit out of an old sponge filter that was in with it. Currently that's sat in a bucket of treated warm water.

Have no idea about keeping the tank going with no fish though - it would certainly make sense in terms of bacteria, but seems rather a waste of energy and money. What about in-between quarantining fish? If you're slowly stocking, quarantining for a week then putting in main tank, do you strip and clean tank before buying next lot of stock in? Or just do a 95%-100% water change?

Certainly after a fish has been ill it would need completely stripping and disinfecting anyway so you'd have to start again with the filter anyway. I wouldnt want to risk there being some residual parasite or something still in the filter media...

 

[rdd1952]

If your going to use basic sponge filter in the q-tank, just set it up in one of your regular tanks and let it run all the time. Then when you need it for the q-tank, just take it out and pop it in. You cold also just add a few drops of ammonia daily to keep it cycled in the q-tank.

 

[zuulan]

Have no idea about keeping the tank going with no fish though - it would certainly make sense in terms of bacteria, but seems rather a waste of energy and money. What about in-between quarantining fish? If you're slowly stocking, quarantining for a week then putting in main tank, do you strip and clean tank before buying next lot of stock in? Or just do a 95%-100% water change?

I've been shutting mine down and then doing a 25%-50% percentage water change with water conditioner just before I've added new fish to it. Probably not the right thing to do, but few people seem to be commenting on this thread.

Can the QT become too polluted within the week that I keep my new fish in it?

 

[bitteraspects]

I keep a 125g (6 feet) tank for the big boys, and 2 75's (4 feet) for everyone elsE. One of the 75's is sectioned into 3 compartments.

 

[coldcazzie]

Can the QT become too polluted within the week that I keep my new fish in it?

I wouldn't have thought so - and doing a large water change should do enough to clean it - it's not like a QT has gravel or anything in it that might harbour large amounts of muck. I suppose if the QT fish show something sinister though during quarantine then that changes things...

My filter will be going into my main tank after water change this morning - tank is currently going through a mini cycle so hopefully that should help sponge filter mature a bit faster.

 

[indigoj]

Mine is 2ftx12deep/18high approx 80l, I used to use a 30l but my big fish won't fit! so 2ft is really the smallest suitable for things like Oscars, Clarias etc.

I quarentine for 4 weeks min too.

 

[OldMan47]

I presently have a couple of 10 gallons laying about but have used a 5 when there were no extra 10s.