How many have quarantine or hospital tanks?
Poll: quarantine or hospital tank
- Thread starter DoDad
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2013
- Messages
- 6,273
- Reaction score
- 5,059
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Hardiness Zone
- 6 A
- Country
I don't have either....probably shouldn't admit that, but it's the truth. If one of my five koi became ill or injured, I'd set up a hospital tank.
I have a spare 10, 75, and 90 gallon I can use for whatever.
That said, can you explain the difference? Obviously hospital is for sick fish and quarantine is generally used to observe new fish before adding to an existing population. Could they both be the same tank? Is one always up and ready.... As in cycled? Etc?
That said, can you explain the difference? Obviously hospital is for sick fish and quarantine is generally used to observe new fish before adding to an existing population. Could they both be the same tank? Is one always up and ready.... As in cycled? Etc?
I have both but haven't used the hospital tank(150 gallons) in years. I use the quarantine (700 gallons) about once a year.
Our club is having a grow-out contest and I'm ordering about 30 Goshiki koi for them. They will be in the tank for at least 3 weeks.
Our club is having a grow-out contest and I'm ordering about 30 Goshiki koi for them. They will be in the tank for at least 3 weeks.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2013
- Messages
- 3,308
- Reaction score
- 7,293
- Location
- Rhode Island, USA
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6a
- Country
I have 2 rubbermaid tanks, 1 100gal and 1 150gal. I have small pumps also for those.
crsublette
coyotes call me Charles
Yep, those were my thoughts as well..
My understanding of a quarantine tank is a place of treatment like a hospital, not a place to see whether your fish will die or stay alive. A quarantine tank is a place to see if any ailments occur in the new fish due to the new fish being introduced to an "old pond" fish and "old pond" water. Also, for new fish and new plants, it is a place to kill any parasite, disease, fungi, snails, or other organisms that can potentially be transferred into your pond. For sick fish, it is a place to help medicate them and heal them. I think containment is more about the controlled environment. It is easier to control the environment of a 80 gallon pond instead of trying to control the environment of a 8000 gallon pond.
Although, I do see the difference...
The "quarantine" tank is a tank for mainly observation and long term medications and it has its own cycled filtration system.
The "hospital" tank would be the tank that does not have filtration and is only used for highly concentrated, short medicated dips or to put a fish to sleep so to prep them for an injection.
I think it would be smart to have both, but, since I have never needed to do medicated dips nor to prep fish for injections, I never had a need for a "hospital" tank.
Last edited:
When I used my hospital tank. I bypass the biological filters while using meds that would effect it.I have big ponds and to just treat a fish and put it back in the pond and then have to get it back out to retreat it puts a lot of stress on a fish that's already sick and stressed. For dips I have big show bowls that I use. This way I can dip and then back to the hospital tank with a friend
bettasngoldfish
Maria
I have several different sized aquariums and a rubbermaid bin to use for quarantine/hospital use. I also have spare heaters, airpumps and filters. Its amazing how much you aquire over the years 
I keep an extra sponge filter bubbling in an aquarium so I can pull it and use it in a quarantine situation. Or I use an extra HOB filter and just pull some matured media from one of the tanks that is using the same type of filter.
I keep an extra sponge filter bubbling in an aquarium so I can pull it and use it in a quarantine situation. Or I use an extra HOB filter and just pull some matured media from one of the tanks that is using the same type of filter.
We have a purpose built QT Pond with bottom drain filter and 15 watt UV-C ventrurie etc
But I beg to differ with you on the amount of water Charles having too little in a QT setup can be detramental to a fishes health, look at our own 550 gallons imperial as you can see it gives us lots of room,for all of the above and more such as breeding , we also have a spare air pump for the setup should we need it
The filter media is Japanese matting , bio balls as well as quilt batting and the pump a Blagdon 2000 which sits in the filter itself.
Here it is known as a shorham QT pond they are very well made and are £590.00 brand new , we bought ours for £260.00 used once so you could say we got a bargin there
Dave
But I beg to differ with you on the amount of water Charles having too little in a QT setup can be detramental to a fishes health, look at our own 550 gallons imperial as you can see it gives us lots of room,for all of the above and more such as breeding , we also have a spare air pump for the setup should we need it
The filter media is Japanese matting , bio balls as well as quilt batting and the pump a Blagdon 2000 which sits in the filter itself.
Here it is known as a shorham QT pond they are very well made and are £590.00 brand new , we bought ours for £260.00 used once so you could say we got a bargin there
Dave
Last edited:
Mmathis
TurtleMommy
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 14,256
- Reaction score
- 8,317
- Location
- NW Louisiana -- zone 8b
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
I have a QT (small one, but about to set up a 300 gal), but not a hospital tank, as such. If I had a sick fish, I could/would convert whatever I had available.
I used a small bucket to hold them when I suspect one is sick. Hoping to never have to quarantine any more fish ever again (I have babies now so I should not need to buy new fish, but it's so darn tempting!!!)
But when the fish gets bigger i'll have to find a bigger bucket or a tub.
i just use airstone and water change to maintain water quality. well, I have only 6 big goldfish the rest are 2 inches long fish.
But when the fish gets bigger i'll have to find a bigger bucket or a tub.
i just use airstone and water change to maintain water quality. well, I have only 6 big goldfish
the rest are 2 inches long fish.
I don't have either. I have a small 10 gall tank with a few guppies in it now, I suppose I would throw those in the pond and pull out the sick fish if I had one. I don't plan on buying any new fish any time soon.
Charles, you mentioned above on snails. Are they a good or bad thing in the pond? Before I was 'experienced' (I have a whole 4 months experience now), I bought a bunch of water hyacinths, they had a bunch of snails on them. I don't see/find many in the actual pond, but tons are in the filters. I pretty much chuck them out when I clean the filters.
Charles, you mentioned above on snails. Are they a good or bad thing in the pond? Before I was 'experienced' (I have a whole 4 months experience now), I bought a bunch of water hyacinths, they had a bunch of snails on them. I don't see/find many in the actual pond, but tons are in the filters. I pretty much chuck them out when I clean the filters.
Determining Tank Volumes
I have a 100 gallon oval Rubbermaid stock tank I have been using for a quarantine tank. While handy, well made with sturdy sides and bottoms, they are not easy to determine volume. They are smaller at the bottom and angle out so that the standard formula for figuring volume does not work. You can estimate but if you need the specific gallons when dosing fish with medications that need to be exact, that could be scary.
I called the Rubbermaid manufacturers and after explaining my dilemma, got the following info for a 100 gallon black (WT100 HTC) stock tank :
7” deep equals 25 gallons, 13” deep is 50 gallons, 18” deep is 75 gallons, and 23.5” is 100 gallons.
If you have a larger tank and have the same concerns, call 1-800-347-9800 option #3 (east coast time) and ask for the measurements of your sized tank. Great company, helpful and friendly. Now you can feel comfortable dosing your fish.
I have a 100 gallon oval Rubbermaid stock tank I have been using for a quarantine tank. While handy, well made with sturdy sides and bottoms, they are not easy to determine volume. They are smaller at the bottom and angle out so that the standard formula for figuring volume does not work. You can estimate but if you need the specific gallons when dosing fish with medications that need to be exact, that could be scary.
I called the Rubbermaid manufacturers and after explaining my dilemma, got the following info for a 100 gallon black (WT100 HTC) stock tank :
7” deep equals 25 gallons, 13” deep is 50 gallons, 18” deep is 75 gallons, and 23.5” is 100 gallons.
If you have a larger tank and have the same concerns, call 1-800-347-9800 option #3 (east coast time) and ask for the measurements of your sized tank. Great company, helpful and friendly. Now you can feel comfortable dosing your fish.