Hospital Tank
- Thread starter legomaheggos
- Start date
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mrukus
Active Member
I have 2 going right now. I was overly paranoid about about ammonia poisoning so I took a few extra precautions. (I didn't have seeded bio filter ready). You will at a minimum need a heater, filter (cheap sponge or hob power filter, I use the latter fot the ease of running carbon if I need too), and some PVC for your fish to hide in. In addition I dumped a small bottle of bio spira in 24 hours before they came and I also put in an ammonia badge. Lastly had some seachem prime on hand in case the ammonia spiked. Be sure to do big water changes if you plan on using any meds after you use prime though-it turns copper toxic.
legomaheggos
Active Member
My biggest fear is starting it out and needing to use it as a hospital tank for a new fish if it comes in sick or if one of my fish start to show illness before hand and it needs to cycle. I thought about a sponge filter, but as far as I know they don't have carbon, so it will be hard to get rid of any copper medications. I never knew that about prime. My RO/DI unit is ordered but not here, so its crazy you can't use dechlorinator and copper meds together. Any recommendations on getting the tank cycled before adding any fish?
mrukus
Active Member
I was hoping someone more experienced might be able to chime in. I didn't have anything to cycle or start the bio filter up in my QT. I used a sponge filter for surface area for bacterial to settle on, have a power filter for carbon if I need it. They both also help with flow and oxygenation as well. Ammonia spikes and subsequent nitrites is what kills fish. I set up my tank on a Friday when I knew I could keep a close eye on it 24/7. I dumped an entire bottle of bio spira in Friday night, added two fish the next day, never had an ammonia spike (monitored from ammonia badge and API tests done 2x a day for the weekend). I also did 50% water changes every day for the weekend. Again, this was probably over kill but I had $100 of fish in the tank. I also fed sparingly and vacuumed out any food that wasn't eaten so all the bio filter has to process is fish waste. The clowns are now on week 3 of QT eating like pigs. 4 more weeks and they'll go in the display.
mrukus
Active Member
This is the stuff I used 2 times. I have two QT tanks going with fish started 2 weeks apart. I dumped the entire small bottle in 24 hours before the fish. Bacteria die too if they aren't fed so. Figured 24 hours would let them settle in before they needed an ammonia source.
Setting up a New Aquarium: Ammonia & Nitrite Removal: Instant Ocean BIO-Spira
Setting up a New Aquarium: Ammonia & Nitrite Removal: Instant Ocean BIO-Spira
saltyphish
Certified Sand Groomer
I keep one running all the time I use it more as a observation tank with liverock, but the rock will have to go if I ever need to add meds. Your best bet is to keep a piece of sponge in your DT to build up the bacteria population that way when needed you can use that in your QT. Also definitely keep prime around, an ammonia badge is a good idea. You can really just use a heater and a powerhead for circulation. I use a cheap hob filter personally. Only run carbon when your not using meds since is will absorb the meds.
I have one that I set up when needed. I have broken clay flowerpots for the fish to hide in. I also have a cheap powerhead, heater and internal filter. I generally keep a small amount of filter sponge in my sump, not enough to get dirty with detritus, but I take it out and put it in the hospital tank internal filter for the bacterial population. I then cut off a new piece of sponge (I have a large block) and put the new one in the sump. When treatment is over I toss the used filter sponge. This keeps some colonized bacteria population ready to go while not transferring anything back to the dt.
I also put a seachem ammonia alert badge on the tank.
I also put a seachem ammonia alert badge on the tank.
