Quarantine Tank

[ChaseB143]

How am I supposed to treat a fish with a bacterial infection if I don’t have a quarantine tank?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Are you ‘100% sure’ you can’t swing even the most basic QT? Not even some temporary set-up off Craigslist? Your life will be so much easier, now, and time and time again.

 

[dugthefish]

The cost to set up a QT is less than the price of many fish we buy.

 

[User]

Simple answer- you can’t.

But a qt set up costs about $50. Especially when petco are doing $/g.

Think of the cost of the fish you buy, and what that $50-70 invested in a qt really gets you.

 

[ChaseB143]

Simple answer- you can’t.

But a qt set up costs about $50. Especially when petco are doing $/g.

Think of the cost of the fish you buy, and what that $50-70 invested in a qt really gets you.

What exactly would I need to do to set up a quarantine tank?

 

[User]

10g or 20 g tank

Hob filter (I like aquaclear) sized to match. I bought a few 20’s since they are good for up to 20 g. (There used to be a 3 pack for $30 on amazon but I cut see it now)

Heater (50w are good for 20 g as long as your location isn’t too cold)

Air stone if treating with copper or most antibiotics since they deplete o2 from water

Ammonia badge

Bottle of biospira if you’re in a rush. If you can wait a month, drop a few filter pads in a mesh bag in a high flow part of your sump to colonize with bacteria

 

[JumboShrimp]

... and a $4 large PVC elbow for hiding, and possibly something to act as a lid— screening material, plexiglass sheet, egg crate type lighting diffuser. Nothing fancy.

 

[cocowizzz]

I have a small plastic tank that I place right in the display tank with a ghetto cover and an air stone I've treated a few fish like this successfully. The temp will stay the same and they don't have a ton of stress from being in a different tank

 

[User]

Yeah, and some pvc elbows

 

[JumboShrimp]

Darn, @neilp2006, I was looking for a photo just like that to show the person. Good job. Simplicity!

 

[User]

I have a small plastic tank that I place right in the display tank with a ghetto cover and an air stone I've treated a few fish like this successfully. The temp will stay the same and they don't have a ton of stress from being in a different tank

You’re not worried about cross contamination of the water? I guess you don’t treat with copper then?