Does anyone actually have a seperate tank that has no fish and just use it as a hospital or quarantine tank? Do you really run an empty tank constantly just in case???

I have a separate tank that was an old 2.5 gal. I upgraded to a 10 gal and kept it as a hospital tank. It is dry on a shelf in the basement, but if I need it, I fill it, and just keep the water very clean while treating my fish. Since I usually have them in some sort of salt bath, I have to change the water daily anyway. It works out well.

Chessie

do you use a heater or filter on it? do you only use salt as medication? I heard some people do that because they don't like using meds and say salt seems to ail all wounds. when you say thet you change water daily...how much? half the tank, about 1 gallon...when replacing, do you use the declorinator and more salt?

Thanks in advance!

A lot of people do run an "empty" tank as a QT/ hospital tank. it's good to do and can always keep extra plants in it.

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"Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

When I do salt treatments, I usually don't fill the tank all the way up. Normally I put 3 tsp of aquarium salt in a gallon water bottle, shake it up, then siphon out 75-80% of the water in the little tank, and replace it with the new water that I mixed in the gallon jug.

I keep a bubbler and a small heater pad in it, but I don't have a filter on it.

Without the salt, it is a handy spot to put my snail if I ever have to medicate my main tank as well.

Chessie

What type of heater pad?

I don't generally recommend them. Quarantine is almost never done properly.


Why Quarantine Usually Does More Harm Than Good

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Biologist-Professional Aquarium Care-Published Author (Aquarium Fish International Magazine)

Stocking has NOTHING to do with tank volume, it is all about water changes.

I just finished cycling and planting a 10 gallon QT tank. It will eventually become an established part of my tank repertoire, but at the moment it will serve to help me bring in fish to add top my 29 without many worries, since I'll be having some fairly pricey fish (as far as FW goes, $5 is pricey). Pics of the build are on my profile.

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

It is a little heating pad for small aquariums. While they aren't usually reliable, in the small tank, it did a pretty good job. I don't have so many fish coming into my tank, so I don't need a "chill out are you healthy?" tank for new fish. Mine is just a sickbed.

Chessie

I used to keep a seperate small tank for my feeder gold fish. But I never had one for quarintine. I won't be needing the little feeder tank anymore because I plan on having a community tank for my next tank.