quarantine tank help please

[grannylvsfish]

I run a sponge filter in the main tank along with the primary filter.If I need a hospital or quarrentine I add the sponge filter , water and heater to a empty tank and consider it cycled.

I was thinking of doing this to. can you tell me... how do they work? and how often to clean ? and how to clean? just run them thru the bucket water, squeeze out all the stuff as I run it thru bucket water? how big to get? ( my tanks are in my sig)

 

[grannylvsfish]

Filter floss is just some cheap polywool (like inside quilts) available at all fish stores (watch out for some stuff sold at fabric stores as they may have additives). It does clog fast and needs to be rinsed frequently if kept in the main tank. Sponges can just be any generic replacement sponges at the fish store. I bought fluval replacement sponges which are very large and I cut them down so that i can stuff them in one of my HOB filter.

As mentioned they can be tossed or cleaned. At the very least have a replacement one started in the HOB when you take the first one out. And let the "diseased one" dry out completely (I suppose you could microwave it to kill anything for sure or use plain bleach and rinse well).

I take it these are what you are talking about?

and do you use the fluval sponge in place of these

 

[grannylvsfish]

thats what i do, i have 2 small internal filters running in two different tanks (that dont need them)

they estabish bacteria coonies in those tanks, if i need qt at short notice i can throw it together, i have my 10g sitting empty with a heater and air pump ready to go

my understanding is that most folks keep qt tanks bare bottomed - that way its easy to see the poo - if the poo is white and stringy then it tends to be internal parasites - you can catch that quick with bare bottom and not just catch the fish pooing on the off chance

very good idea no gravel to keep the tank clean of poo thanks

 

[OldMan47]

Granny you're batting 1000 with your understanding what people are saying. Yes, you just squeeze out the sponge filter or any of the soft media in used tank water and it is ready to use again. When selecting a filter, I would go for one that says its good for the next larger size tank than what you have. For instance, if your QT will be a 10, get one rated for a 20. No need to get too carried away with size since you will break down the whole set up when you are conviced its safe to move the fish out of quarantine. For a 10, a 50W heater would be big enough. You will want a light for the tank so you can inspect the new fish to be sure they show no signs of disease before you move them. The light that comes with the tank is good enough for that.
Last suggestion, there is no reason not to get a used tank for your QT. A 10 can be had for almost nothing at garage sales and similar places. Its a size that people often start with and those who become discouraged will sell them off cheap. There is also a site called craigslist that often carries things like tanks and they are usually reasonable.

 

[yourchoice]

I was thinking of doing this to. can you tell me... how do they work? and how often to clean ? and how to clean? just run them thru the bucket water, squeeze out all the stuff as I run it thru bucket water? how big to get? ( my tanks are in my sig)

Run a 1/4 hose as you would with a bubble wand or corner filter.Drip lope or chech valve .Most sponge filters the bubbles blow straight up.A control valve lets you control the air flow.They cost a dollar or so.

Cleaning ,sqeeze the sponge in a bucket of tank water every water change or two.

If the tank is more than 12 inches tall best to get more power than the mini air pumps.The pumps with more than one outlet are more economical.You can tie a knot in a 4 inch peice of tubing to close an outlet not in use.

 

[Rbishop]

I have posted a few posts on this help but no answers so I will make a thread
I need to know this... if I take a 10 gallon tank, add the water and filter from my other tanks, and the gravel from one tank ( it has way to much any ways) will this be a good already established tank? also how do I maintain it for a quarantine tank ? do I have to add a fish to keep it going so it does not crash with out fish in it? I saw a few white spots on one of my fish, so I want to put him right in it to make sure he is ok, but when he is put back in the main tank, how do I keep the tank up and running with out fish in it again?
thanks, sorry I had to make a new thread, I just never got answers to the ones I posted else where.

Please try to get us a picture. The identification of the issue is of improtance. You may need to treat the tank where the fish is currently.