quarantine tank

[scott the fishman]

HI GUYS! so as some of you know i am now medicating my whole 75 gallon planted tank. so far it has cost me over $80 and will still need more meds to complete the treatment. so i am now going to buy a 10g tank w lid. can any of you guys chime in and help me cut cost with equipment filters heaters lights kinda thing. thanks

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Aqueon tank 10-20 dollars (I see petco has them on sale for 9.99- buy online/pick up in store). 

Lid $12-14.

Sponge filter 3-10

Lights? Don't really need one but you can buy a clip on at petstores (or a desk lamp) 10-30

Heater Aqueon 100w $15. but there are others you can get crazy here. 

Go bare bottom. 

Might want a place for sick fish to hide/hang out but you might have stuff on hand for that. 

If you can place it close but not TOO close to your main tank if you already run air you can split airlines to run a pump. Tetra Whispers are 10 bucks usually at Petco if you have to keep them in separate places entirely. 

About $63 plus or minus if you don't need much more and going low level. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 8:40 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Aqueon tank 10-20 dollars (I see petco has them on sale for 9.99- buy online/pick up in store). 

Lid $12-14.

Sponge filter 3-10

Lights? Don't really need one but you can buy a clip on at petstores (or a desk lamp) 10-30

Heater Aqueon 100w $15. but there are others you can get crazy here. 

Go bare bottom. 

Might want a place for sick fish to hide/hang out but you might have stuff on hand for that. 

If you can place it close but not TOO close to your main tank if you already run air you can split airlines to run a pump. Tetra Whispers are 10 bucks usually at Petco. 

ok thats not bad at all. i can put some wood in there would that be ok? i am thinking of just building my stand with some 2x4s from home depot. would any light work i have a clip on desk light kinda weak.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Nah, QT tanks can be easy if you want the glass kind, a lot of people use storage bins but I personally don't like you can't see into them well. People like storage bins because they feel like they will turn the glass tank into a permanent tank hehe. 

You can put wood in there if you want but if you treat anybody you might want to consider boiling it inbetween patients to sanitize. Any light would work because fish don't need them only we do to observe- stressed fish often do best without them and most QT tanks you're not going to keep plants in.

The only other things you might consider is a net used exclusively for the tank, maybe a water changer- but you can get a turkey baster cheap to clean out the bottom of debris and scoop out water with a bowl in the meantime. That's what I do. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Nah, QT tanks can be easy if you want the glass kind, a lot of people use storage bins but I personally don't like you can't see into them well. People like storage bins because they feel like they will turn the glass tank into a permanent tank hehe. 

You can put wood in there if you want but if you treat anybody you might want to consider boiling it inbetween patients to sanitize. Any light would work because fish don't need them only we do to observe- stressed fish often do best without them and most QT tanks you're not going to keep plants in.

The only other things you might consider is a net used exclusively for the tank, maybe a water changer- but you can get a turkey baster cheap to clean out the bottom of debris and scoop out water with a bowl in the meantime. That's what I do. 

 

On 10/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Nah, QT tanks can be easy if you want the glass kind, a lot of people use storage bins but I personally don't like you can't see into them well. People like storage bins because they feel like they will turn the glass tank into a permanent tank hehe. 

You can put wood in there if you want but if you treat anybody you might want to consider boiling it inbetween patients to sanitize. Any light would work because fish don't need them only we do to observe- stressed fish often do best without them and most QT tanks you're not going to keep plants in.

The only other things you might consider is a net used exclusively for the tank, maybe a water changer- but you can get a turkey baster cheap to clean out the bottom of debris and scoop out water with a bowl in the meantime. That's what I do. 

ok very insightful thank you didnt think about keeping separate tools like nets and other tools. very helpful.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Yes you don't want to cross contaminate even if you had several "healthy" tanks. Always want separate tools (I even use a different towel for different tanks, I have 5 "healthy" tanks and 2 small QT) just in case. 

[HotTunaCartel]

This is a great question and I'm in the search of looking for a cheap 10 gallon quarantine tank.  

I just saw that the Walmart by me has 10 gallon tanks for $12.  Might stop by this weekend and pick one up and throw a sponge in there from one of my other tanks.  The local petco is about 50 mins from me so I'd rather drive 10 mins just to save the time.  Will be going bare bottom which from what I've read is really the way to go with some simple and cheap decorations to make the fish feel at home.  

I used to use a 6.6g fluval cube but its a PIA to clean with the little hole in the top 

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:15 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Yes you don't want to cross contaminate even if you had several "healthy" tanks. Always want separate tools (I even use a different towel for different tanks, I have 5 "healthy" tanks and 2 small QT) just in case. 

wow theres alot to the quarantine tank . what do i do with the tank after i am done with quarantine disinfect it?

[Colu]

On 10/29/2021 at 6:20 AM, scott the fishman said:

wow theres alot to the quarantine tank . what do i do with the tank after i am done with quarantine disinfect it?

What you can do is empty it and disinfect with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution leave it empty for a couple of weeks is usually enough to get rid of most pathogens 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Colu is right. That's a very good way.

Some use soap or white vinegar but you must make sure you rinse really really well. I usually use Dawn, rinse (really well) and leave it out to dry in the sun for a day or so.

I run 2 sponges in my 20 gallon tanks so I always have options to pull one and "jump start" a QT- I have 2 QTs going on right now- NO meds- just making sure the fish are safe to go in my established tanks. They are working into 3 weeks of QT (aiming for 5). Because they're only 2 gallon tanks they require daily cleaning and small water changes. 

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:28 PM, Colu said:

What you can do is empty it and disinfect with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution leave it empty for a couple of weeks is usually enough to get rid of most pathogens 

ok thats doable. why do i see my self needing to keep a journal in the near future!!

On 10/28/2021 at 10:37 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Colu is right. That's a very good way.

Some use soap or white vinegar but you must make sure you rinse really really well. I usually use Dawn, rinse (really well) and leave it out to dry in the sun for a day or so.

I run 2 sponges in my 20 gallon tanks so I always have options to pull one and "jump start" a QT- I have 2 QTs going on right now- NO meds- just making sure the fish are safe to go in my established tanks. They are working into 3 weeks of QT (aiming for 5). Because they're only 2 gallon tanks they require daily cleaning and small water changes. 

how do you disnfect a sponge filter same way as the tank?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

You could do the same with a sponge potentially, @Colu's method might be better. My "used" sponges are cleaned with super hot water and put out of commission for so long (usually many months) before going back into the rotation- I've yet to have an issue. But if you're really nervous...they're pretty inexpensive. 

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:45 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

You could do the same with a sponge potentially, @Colu's method might be better. My "used" sponges are cleaned with super hot water and put out of commission for so long (usually many months) before going back into the rotation- I've yet to have an issue. But if you're really nervous...they're pretty inexpensive. 

i asked couse i want to have a fully cycled filter sponge at the ready. if i clean it with realy hot water and let is dry for a weak then put it back in my show tank. would that work?

On 10/28/2021 at 8:47 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Nah, QT tanks can be easy if you want the glass kind, a lot of people use storage bins but I personally don't like you can't see into them well. People like storage bins because they feel like they will turn the glass tank into a permanent tank hehe. 

You can put wood in there if you want but if you treat anybody you might want to consider boiling it inbetween patients to sanitize. Any light would work because fish don't need them only we do to observe- stressed fish often do best without them and most QT tanks you're not going to keep plants in.

The only other things you might consider is a net used exclusively for the tank, maybe a water changer- but you can get a turkey baster cheap to clean out the bottom of debris and scoop out water with a bowl in the meantime. That's what I do. 

ok what do you recommend as a hiding spot for a sick fish. a cave kinda thing a couple of fake plants?

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

The thing with some meds is that they do kill off the good bacteria anyway so sometimes even having a cycled sponge on hand isn't what you need. I usually look up whether that will happen with a medication.

Some people just keep the same sponge in their QT tank and have a handful of bladder snails in them- putting food in from time to time and keeping it cycled that way therefore never use a sponge from or putting into a main tank.

Because the sponges I use are about $5 I have 5 of them, one of which is still new in the box. So the chance of the sponges being back in one of the main tanks is many months down the line. Lucky me too, both the QTs I have running don't seem to have any illnesses or medication needs so far so (knock on wood) I'm not hesitant to use them in the main tanks after cleaning. 

Hiding spots are easy- just as you said something simple. Even a terracotta pot tipped on its side. I have some fake plants, some old decor I'm not using anymore, etc. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 11:09 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

The thing with some meds is that they do kill off the good bacteria anyway so sometimes even having a cycled sponge on hand isn't what you need. I usually look up whether that will happen with a medication.

Some people just keep the same sponge in their QT tank and have a handful of bladder snails in them- putting food in from time to time and keeping it cycled that way therefore never use a sponge from or putting into a main tank.

Because the sponges I use are about $5 I have 5 of them, one of which is still new in the box. So the chance of the sponges being back in one of the main tanks is many months down the line. Lucky me too, both the QTs I have running don't seem to have any illnesses or medication needs so far so (knock on wood) I'm not hesitant to use them in the main tanks after cleaning. 

Hiding spots are easy- just as you said something simple. Even a terracotta pot tipped on its side. I have some fake plants, some old decor I'm not using anymore, etc. 

thank you i see i need to research to do. i think what i am missing here is do i put sick fish in non cycled tank? i would not think so

so how do i get around that?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

lt seems counterintutive doesn't it? That's the question. 

So I'll tell you 2 quick (as I can) situations I had recently. As I mentioned, I have 2 Imagitarium (Petco) "holding tanks" they are 2 gallons. 

SITUATION ONE (no cycled media): This summer I had an injured Black Neon Tetra in one of my tanks. I pulled them out of gen pop, and put them in a floating breeder box to keep an eye on them (floating breeders come in handy too but that's too much to go into now). He was swimming vertically which tells me a swim bladder issue but wasn't sure what it was yet. I could see a spot where he was injured. After a day or two of observation saw that spot become fuzzy, which is when I knew they needed QT. 

I put "Verti" which is their name now, in the 2 gallon QT. He was getting some hardcore meds so I actually only ran an airstone (kept him in the floating breeder- cause he had trouble even getting to the top of a 2 gallon). There was no cycled media in there- he was in the tank for more than 2 weeks, he graduated to another type of breeder box and then went back into gen pop fully healed!

SITUATION TWO (at first no cycled, but then corrected): New fish. I got some new fish from the LFS. I don't use meds unless they are needed (meaning if I don't see signs of illness I don't treat). I made the mistake of NOT putting a cycled sponge in one of my tanks- for the first few days. Sadly I had 3 losses. I quickly remedied that and pulled a cycled sponge from one of my 20 gallon tanks. 

I had to start up a 2nd QT due to MORE new (unexpected) fish. So as not to make the same mistake I immediately pulled another cycled sponge and have run it in that QT. It has now been 15 days and I've had no losses from either tank since and no signs of illness- with healthy bacteria to HOPEFULLY support all these fish until I can release them into their new homes after 5 weeks is up. 

Edited October 29, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Scapexghost]

If you are willing to wait for a sale, you can get a topfin 10 gallon kit tank (tank, lid, light, filter, and heater) for $30 from petsmart. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Scapexghost kits are a great option too, they usually come with HOB so buying sponge or filter floss to go in there is something to consider as the activated carbon filters that come with the HOB remove medications typically- which honestly is great when you're done medicating though a lot of hobbyist poo-poo keeping premade filter media like that around- it does come in handy!

[Helan]

Definitely get a tank, I am currently using a 5 gallon bucket and it’s a pain to say the least

[Andy's Fish Den]

My QT are nice and simple. I have both a 10 and a 20 tall that I use to QT fish, depending upon size and amount of fish. They are bare bottom, use polycarbonate lids, no lights, just ambient light and if I need to see in better, I use a flashlight. I have an assortment of plastic plants with weighted bases, clay pots, caves etc for hides and to help make fish comfortable. All that stuff can be soaked in hot water and peroxide after being used. I use a sponge filter in the tanks, and when I am done treating in that tank, the sponge gets rinsed out in straight hot water from my tap, then I use "sponge grunge" from an established tank to get a cycle going back in the tank. 

[Flumpweesel]

 

I thought this covered the bases of a hospital tank I like the idea of marking the water volume so you can be accurate with your meds.  

If you are  medicating the cycle becomes either impossible because of the meds or less vital due to frequent water changes. 

 

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 11:36 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

lt seems counterintutive doesn't it? That's the question. 

So I'll tell you 2 quick (as I can) situations I had recently. As I mentioned, I have 2 Imagitarium (Petco) "holding tanks" they are 2 gallons. 

SITUATION ONE (no cycled media): This summer I had an injured Black Neon Tetra in one of my tanks. I pulled them out of gen pop, and put them in a floating breeder box to keep an eye on them (floating breeders come in handy too but that's too much to go into now). He was swimming vertically which tells me a swim bladder issue but wasn't sure what it was yet. I could see a spot where he was injured. After a day or two of observation saw that spot become fuzzy, which is when I knew they needed QT. 

I put "Verti" which is their name now, in the 2 gallon QT. He was getting some hardcore meds so I actually only ran an airstone (kept him in the floating breeder- cause he had trouble even getting to the top of a 2 gallon). There was no cycled media in there- he was in the tank for more than 2 weeks, he graduated to another type of breeder box and then went back into gen pop fully healed!

SITUATION TWO (at first no cycled, but then corrected): New fish. I got some new fish from the LFS. I don't use meds unless they are needed (meaning if I don't see signs of illness I don't treat). I made the mistake of NOT putting a cycled sponge in one of my tanks- for the first few days. Sadly I had 3 losses. I quickly remedied that and pulled a cycled sponge from one of my 20 gallon tanks. 

I had to start up a 2nd QT due to MORE new (unexpected) fish. So as not to make the same mistake I immediately pulled another cycled sponge and have run it in that QT. It has now been 15 days and I've had no losses from either tank since and no signs of illness- with healthy bacteria to HOPEFULLY support all these fish until I can release them into their new homes after 5 weeks is up. 

great info! thank you

On 10/29/2021 at 5:23 AM, Flumpweesel said:

 

I thought this covered the bases of a hospital tank I like the idea of marking the water volume so you can be accurate with your meds.  

If you are  medicating the cycle becomes either impossible because of the meds or less vital due to frequent water changes. 

 

thank you for this video l

On 10/29/2021 at 3:45 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

My QT are nice and simple. I have both a 10 and a 20 tall that I use to QT fish, depending upon size and amount of fish. They are bare bottom, use polycarbonate lids, no lights, just ambient light and if I need to see in better, I use a flashlight. I have an assortment of plastic plants with weighted bases, clay pots, caves etc for hides and to help make fish comfortable. All that stuff can be soaked in hot water and peroxide after being used. I use a sponge filter in the tanks, and when I am done treating in that tank, the sponge gets rinsed out in straight hot water from my tap, then I use "sponge grunge" from an established tank to get a cycle going back in the tank. 

I like that sweet in simple thank you

[scott the fishman]

On 10/29/2021 at 1:51 AM, Helan said:

Definitely get a tank, I am currently using a 5 gallon bucket and it’s a pain to say the least

yup no way around that. will have a 10 g in two weeks ready for service.

On 10/29/2021 at 3:45 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

My QT are nice and simple. I have both a 10 and a 20 tall that I use to QT fish, depending upon size and amount of fish. They are bare bottom, use polycarbonate lids, no lights, just ambient light and if I need to see in better, I use a flashlight. I have an assortment of plastic plants with weighted bases, clay pots, caves etc for hides and to help make fish comfortable. All that stuff can be soaked in hot water and peroxide after being used. I use a sponge filter in the tanks, and when I am done treating in that tank, the sponge gets rinsed out in straight hot water from my tap, then I use "sponge grunge" from an established tank to get a cycle going back in the tank. 

 

On 10/29/2021 at 5:23 AM, Flumpweesel said:

 

I thought this covered the bases of a hospital tank I like the idea of marking the water volume so you can be accurate with your meds.  

If you are  medicating the cycle becomes either impossible because of the meds or less vital due to frequent water changes. 

 

great video thank you

On 10/29/2021 at 1:06 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Scapexghost kits are a great option too, they usually come with HOB so buying sponge or filter floss to go in there is something to consider as the activated carbon filters that come with the HOB remove medications typically- which honestly is great when you're done medicating though a lot of hobbyist poo-poo keeping premade filter media like that around- it does come in handy!

i will be buying every thing in two weeks. i will look at there adds to see if a sale like that comes available. thanks

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 8:33 PM, scott the fishman said:

HI GUYS! so as some of you know i am now medicating my whole 75 gallon planted tank. so far it has cost me over $80 and will still need more meds to complete the treatment. so i am now going to buy a 10g tank w lid. can any of you guys chime in and help me cut cost with equipment filters heaters lights kinda thing. thanks

ok update on day two. no change yet still 2 of my loaches are showing sighs of illness each one has a single whit patch on there back. they are both in a agitative state scraping there bodies on the substrate. did 2nd treatment per instructions. 

[scott the fishman]

On 10/28/2021 at 10:28 PM, Colu said:

What you can do is empty it and disinfect with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution leave it empty for a couple of weeks is usually enough to get rid of most pathogens 

silly question! since its just a 10g tank cant i just treat the empty tank once more to rid the bad guys.