Keeping a hospital or qt tank ...

[guppygal]

I am assuming you will always need to have a fish in your qt tank to keep the cycle going. So, do I keep a single fish in the qt tank (A 5 Gallon long)? If I buy new fish or have a sick fish, just put them in with whatever fish I have chosen to live in there?

Because we can't keep an empty tank, right??

Thanks!

I am asking because I have my new dwarf gourami in the 5 gallon and will be introducing him to the 10 gallon, so I need to buy another fish for the 5 gallon????

 

[blkwdw13]

Some people keeps there QT tanks cycled with snails

 

[TheZoo]

you could add a little fish food periodically to an empty tank.

I think some people also just set the tank up when they need it, with gravel and media from the existing, stocked tank.

 

[Peyton]

You could just add a few drops of ammonia every few days or so. It would be enough to keep the bacteria going.

 

[Grundy]

I have a small Penguin biowheel that I normally keep on my larger tank and then put on the hospital/quaratine tank when needed. This way there is always some beneficial bacteria on it but changing it should not affect the filtering of my larger tank to any great extent.

 

[dabaers]

I keep an extra sponge filter running in my main tank that can be moved into the hospital/qt tank as needed.

Kath

 

[guppygal]

OK - so if I don't keep the tank up and I have a sponge filter in the main tank. I just fill the hospital tank with new water and put the sponge in and I am good to go?? That easy?

 

[dabaers]

Yep that easy. Most medications are going to destroy the bacterial filter or greatly damage it so you aren't going to cycle it in any time that you use it as a hosp tank. and if its for QT you are good to go with normal water changes.

Kath

 

[guppygal]

Yep that easy. Most medications are going to destroy the bacterial filter or greatly damage it so you aren't going to cycle it in any time that you use it as a hosp tank. and if its for QT you are good to go with normal water changes.

Kath

Thanks!!

I may actually keep it running but hubby doesn't want 2 fish tanks!!

 

[Rowangel]

I keep an extra sponge filter running in my main tank that can be moved into the hospital/qt tank as needed.

Kath

This is what I do...grab empty 10g; (actually I have even used those large plastic critter keepers before, they work great in a pinch) fill up with de-chlorinated water; add extra sponge from existing tank filter to extra sponge filter I keep handy and wa-la! Instant qt-tank! I also have an extra heater I keep for this reason. When not in use filter, heater and plastic/glass tank go into storage.

If I keep a qt-tank up and running it will take less than a week before I HAVE to start adding gravel, or plants…or permanent fish…so for me it’s out-of-site, out-of-mind, or else!