questions about quarantine tank

**angel_love** · 08-05-2011, 03:38 AM

Do you guys house any fish in your quarantine/hospital tanks to keep the beneficial bacteria alive or do you run it empty? Just wondering because I bought another 10 gallon and I am using my old one as a hospital tank right now but once the fish get better it will be empty.

**Honey Badger 1** · 08-05-2011, 03:54 AM

I keep the filter for my QT running on my 20g. The QT isn't set up unless there are fish in it.

**angel_love** · 08-05-2011, 04:02 AM

Oh good idea. What about keeping 2 or 3 fish in it and taking them out when I need to use it?

**Honey Badger 1** · 08-05-2011, 04:06 AM

That would work also, as long as the fish you are putting in for QT don't have a bigger bioload than the ones you are using to maintain the cycle.

**dbosman** · 08-06-2011, 03:49 AM

Bacteria in the filter isn't going to be an issue if the fish going in it will be treated with an antibiotic. The goal in that case IS to kill the bacteria in the system. So, if the goal is treating sick fish, siphon out crud daily using a length of air line tubing. An air stone is probably the simplest thing to add.

If the goal is a tank for prophylactic quarantine of incoming fish, keeping a spare sponge filter in your main tank is a good idea.

**Lady Hobbs** · 08-06-2011, 03:57 AM

That's what I do too.......run a sponge filter in back of my 55 and just grab it when setting up my quarantine tank. I cram it behind my plants and wood and don't even know it's there.

**angel_love** · 08-06-2011, 07:44 PM

Oddly enough I've never seen sponge filters at any lfs that I go to. But I suppose I could just smoosh a filter cartridge from my 10 gallon into one of my other filters.