QT tank - how small is too small?

[TheLoneSeaMonkey]

I am cycling my 20 gal nano tank and trying to decide on a QT/hospital tank. I am wondering if a Fluval Evo V (5 gallon) is going to be too small and if I should just go ahead and get the Fluval Evo XII (13.5 gal)? There isn't much price difference between the two but space is at a premium in my apartment, so the smaller the better, but I don't want to make it too cramped. With only a 20 gallon DT, I am obviously not going to be adding anything huge. What are people's thoughts?

 

[JumboShrimp]

5 gallons is ok to QT a Damsel, maybe, but remember that with even minimal equipment and the fact that you won’t be filling the tank to the brim, you’d be closer to 4 gallons. Not too practical for most fish you might want to QT (or as an emergency tank down the line). Even a 10-gallon would be better. Best wishes!

 

[davidcalgary29]

I'd use a wheelie plastic garbage bin, HOB filter, powerhead, and heater instead. It should be about half the cost of an Evo setup if you have a few pieces of equipment lying around.

 

[dmsc2fs]

go for a 10G. They are cheap to find and easy to clean. The main reason for a 10G over a 5G besides the extra water quantity is that most meds that you may use in QT or a hospital tank setting are dosed per 10G. it's easier than figuring out 1/2 doses. Plus 10G are cheap and easy to get.

As for space. I setup a 10G QT one time when i had 3 other QTs going. I didn't have a great option for placement so it went on a dining room chair in my living room next to my TV. QTs are a short term use and can can usually find a place to stick them.

I pulled this out 4 days ago to treat a sick fish that is having a hard go of it. 10 days of meds. Easy to setup and tear down is the main goal. Don't ask about the light. I'm using it because I had it free and I only turn the light on when I dose meds. I like HOB filters over sponge/air stone filters because I keep a foam block in my sump. HOB goes on the tank, foam block into the HOB and my bacteria colony is ready for the trip.

 

[jorgmungandr]

Going with more water volume in quarantine is better since it's easier to get an ammonia spike in such a small volume of water that isn't fully cycled - Personally, I'd be more worried about that than if 5 gal is a reasonable size to house your future livestock. Make sure you get an ammonia badge regardless

Any reason why you want to go with an all in one? All you need for QT is a basic glass tank, (or plastic bin/bucket), a heater, and and a sponge filter/airstone/powerhead. You don't really need a light so IMO it's not worth it to be paying for an all in one just as a quarantine tank.

 

[Chrisv.]

I used a cheapo 3.5 g plastic tank from Petco. It allowed for easier observation than a plastic bin. Of course I use this for only nano fish. No need to call the tang police!

 

[Chrisv.]

Whatever you decide to use, don't forget a lid. New fish + sparse decor = spooked fish = fish that turn into raisins on the carpet or get eaten by your cat.

 

[Tired]

You should definitely go for at least a 10gal, if at all possible. You should have a lid on ALL tanks, but especially a QT tank.

That said, I recently had to do the tank transfer method (swap the fish to an entirely new, sterilized tank about every 65 hours) with a clown goby, and I Just used 3gal tanks. A lot of things are a lot less of a concern when you're feeding live baby brine and doing a 100% water change every threeish days. I don't think this would have worked well with any fish significantly over 1 inch long, or anything active.

 

[dmsc2fs]

You should definitely go for at least a 10gal, if at all possible. You should have a lid on ALL tanks, but especially a QT tank.

That said, I recently had to do the tank transfer method (swap the fish to an entirely new, sterilized tank about every 65 hours) with a clown goby, and I Just used 3gal tanks. A lot of things are a lot less of a concern when you're feeding live baby brine and doing a 100% water change every threeish days. I don't think this would have worked well with any fish significantly over 1 inch long, or anything active.

off topic just to say Clown Goby's are a fantastic little fish!

 

[GARRIGA]

20g Brute takes up minimal space, doesn't require a stand but visibility from above might restrict inspection, however, if one tends to perform frequent dips then inspection could be performed at that time. Plus filled half way means no top needed for most jumpers. Can setup several Brutes and possibly hard plumb them in sequence if utilizing sediment filters to remove the free swimming stage of parasites, which I plan on doing but still working the kinks out.

In sequence means newsest additions added down stream so their water goes directly to the sediment filters to avoid contaminating others. Sediment filters have the ability to remove parasites on first pass or at a minimum, reduce their numbers to the point they aren't going to overwhelm the host and might assist in building up an immunity.

 

[TheLoneSeaMonkey]

Going with more water volume in quarantine is better since it's easier to get an ammonia spike in such a small volume of water that isn't fully cycled - Personally, I'd be more worried about that than if 5 gal is a reasonable size to house your future livestock. Make sure you get an ammonia badge regardless

Any reason why you want to go with an all in one? All you need for QT is a basic glass tank, (or plastic bin/bucket), a heater, and and a sponge filter/airstone/powerhead. You don't really need a light so IMO it's not worth it to be paying for an all in one just as a quarantine tank.

purely for ease of use - but it sounds like my QT tank doesn't need to be anywhere near as elaborate as my DT so that makes a big difference! I am definitely considering something less fancy now.

 

[TheLoneSeaMonkey]

Thanks everyone! I think maybe I will just pick up a cheap 10 gallon tank and a sponge filter and some day I will probably buy the Fluval just to have another nano tank around because I can already feel that just one tank won't be enough