Quarantine/Holding Tank

[sleeby]

Just want to make sure I understand this correctly before making a mistake:

If I have a 10 or 20 gal empty/dry tank I could create an on the fly holding tank for some fish to live in for a week or two by simply filling with correct temp water and dechlor, attaching a heater to maintain temp and performing a daily 25% water change? Oh, and a pump and air stone (which I already have spares of).

Or looked at the other way - I would not need a filter on the tank and would not need to worry about its being un-cycled as I am making such frequent water changes?

I want to get something cheap to have ready when needed - a small, bare tank and heater would fit my wallet.

Thanks for any confirmations or corrections. :-)

[schoolbus]

Any tank that has fish in it should be fully cycled.
My QT I use to insure my fish are healthy, before I place them in my main tanks.
Once i have all my tanks fully stocked I keep My QT with fish in it so it will remain cycled. I treat My QT as I do all my tanks. I monitor it daily, and do water testing ang changes on a regular schedule.
An air stone and heater are all You need, I have an AC filter, heater and some dritftwood in mine.
QT is an important part of My whole system, I take great care with it.

LOL
Don

[korith]

You could always put the small filter for your quarantine tank in your bigger tank. Then when you need to use your quarantine tank, you toss in the filter, it's ready to go.

[Mvjnz]

I'd set up the QT and put some snails in it and keep it going, and not set it up every time you need to quarantine fish.

If you decide to do it that way, I'd rub the filter sponge on an established filter sponge, that way it's instantly cycled, as long as you don't put too much fish in. As an alternative you could keep the QT filter running in an established tank until it's needed in the other tank, and then move it back to an established tank when you've finished quarantine.

[travie]

You don't necessarily have to cycle the QT tank if you willing to do daily water changes on the tank.

[abaigael04]

I would just have an extra small filter running on another tank if you do not want to leave the Q tank up and running... then just switch it over. IMO if you have a sick fish or a new fish you would want very good water quality to not further stress them - which means a cycled tank. I guess if you did large enough WC's every day that may be possible, but you also have to think about - oxygen, temp change during WC and realistically are you going to want to do WC's EVERY day for up to a month (how long I Q new fish and some people do it longer - or however long the fish is sick?) You can get a cheapo filter for well... cheap. :shappy: