Grow Out Breeding Tank vs Quarantine Tank

[Alec]

I apologize in advance for the long post

Previously, I have used a 2.5 gallon aquarium as my quarantine tank. I would prefer to have a 10 gallon for this, but due to size restrictions, this is what I have. Additionally, anytime I have had a fish with disease, they never make it in 2.5 tank. I dose accordingly, but they still die.

1. Does the size of the tank have anything to do with this? Or is it just the disease that overcomes them? 

I did recently buy a 5.5 gallon tank as I have a spot under a new aquarium to put it. Originally, I was going to use this as my new quarantine tank. I have a muck bucket tub that I have 4 gold dust mollies in that I am trying to breed. I also got a fry from the store I bought them from. The fry is currently living in the tub with the other 4 fish and is doing great.

2. Should I provide a grow out tank or will the fry (and future fry) be okay in the tub)?

3. If I were to provide a grow out tank until they are big enough to sell, which tank should I use? The 2.5 or 5.5? On the contrary, which tank would be best for a quarantine tank? The 2.5 or 5.5?

Ideally I would like to have both of these tanks be 10 gallons, but I don't have the room for two 10 gallon tanks. 

[Zenzo]

My recommendation on the quarantine tank dilemma is to have a spare ten gallon available for you to setup when you need to quarantine fish. This tanks doesn't need to be running all of the time. Simply keep the empty 10 in a closet or a garage, and pull it out when needed. You can have a small, cycled sponge filter running in your other tank and transfer it to the quarantine tank when needed. With smaller tanks (5.5, 2.5), it is harder to maintain optimal water parameters, and it is also more difficult to measure out medications, as most are sold with treatments for 10 gallons. This would seem like the easiest solution for quarantining.

For questions 2 & 3, the larger of the two would be better.

I would repurpose the 2.5 for something else, as it seems too small for what you are trying to accomplish (my opinion). 

[Alec]

@Zenzo Thank you! I will have to look into that.

[Zenzo]

Sure thing. A 10 gallon tanks can be found for as little as $10 when on sale. The footprint isn't much different than a 5.5 either. Good luck!

[Patrick_G]

I’d want something like a 10 gallon for growing out Mollies.