Quarantine Tank

[FunkeFish]

I want to get a small 10 gallon quarantine tank for small fish. I will have sand and rock in it. What do I need to look for in terms of equipment? Will just a regular filter work? Any special lights needed?Thanks for the help! :fish1:

[AZDesertRat]

If you are setting up a QT tank you do not want sand and rock in it. You will sometimes need to medicate in QT and sand and rock will absorb medications and cause problems for future inhabitants. Keep it bare bottom and provide a couple of PVC fittings or short pieces of pipe for fish to dide in. PVC can be disinfected or tossed after each use so it won't contaminate future fish that don't need whatever medication may have been used on the last fish.
For filtration an Aquaclear side filter works well, you can keep a new sponge filter insert in your main tanks sump so it will be charged with beneficial bacteria when you need to set the QT tank up in a hurry. Just remember to toss the sponge and get a new one each time for the same reasons as above. Lighting can be very simple if at all and a small heater will complete the set up.

[BONDQ]

Keep it simple.

A QT tank is simply to observe the fish and to provide stable and quiet conditions prior to transfer to your show tank.

The very basics are all that are needed.

[latazyo]

how long should you keep a fish in a QT?

[druce]

I have heard 2 weeks min to 6 weeks.

All up to how healthy you think the fish is. I never used a QT tank, but after my last fish purchase and the "gift" of ich he brought I have since changed my tune. Most people don't have a QT set up all the time, just a few days before they purchase. If you have a sump, keep a set of spare filter pads floating in there, then when you set up the tank, grab some display tank water (good time for a water change) then pop in the filters, plug it all in and you should be ready to go. After the QT time, toss the old filter pads out, buy some new ones, and soak them in the sump ready for your next purchase.

If there is one word of wisdom I can give, it's defintely to use a QT tank!

[Andrew]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7887845#post7887845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by druce
I have heard 2 weeks min to 6 weeks.



2 weeks won't cure anything on a fish. The fish needs to be in the hypo stage for atleast 4-6 weeks. Click on my Red house and go to Quarantine Info and there's good information there.

[druce]

yea, that's why I said min... saw that somewhere on here. I wouldn't think 2 weeks would do much. Thanks for keeping me honest :D