Preparations for a quarantine tank

malphonse · 11-12-2006, 04:12 PM

I have a spare 10 gal tank that I may be forced to put back in service as a quarantine tank. I have lost a number of fish in my 55 gal tank and will be restocking it with Bala Sharks and Albino Tiger Barbs.

I understand that cycling and stabilization are essential, even for a bare quarantine tank. I will not be adding any gravel, but I’ll need beneficial bacteria.

My questions:

Do I need to create an extra culture from the 55 gal and move it to the 10 gal?
Are there other good sources for beneficial bacteria? (I already have stress zyme).
What are the proper steps to be followed to get the tank ready?
Finally, what medication should I use on the new fishes to get rid of any bacteria, parasites, fungus and viruses before I move them over to the 55 gal?

undertow · 11-12-2006, 05:16 PM

you would be best to use water form the 55g when you do water changes and add it to the 10g. make sure you let the 10g cycle properly or it wont be a good QT. when adding fish to the QT tank you should just keep an eye on them to see if they need medicating at all

BV77 · 11-12-2006, 05:35 PM

hope you know that bala sharks are gonna get so big that a 55 crowds them, then they get skiddish, and jump, sometimes out of the tank, others just into the lid, bruising their noses IME

malphonse · 11-12-2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BV77

hope you know that bala sharks are gonna get so big that a 55 crowds them, then they get skiddish, and jump, sometimes out of the tank, others just into the lid, bruising their noses IME

True. I'm reconsidering the balas

, since I understand I may need as large as a 125 gal tank - I have no room for that.

Puffer Pita · 11-13-2006, 10:39 AM

Water contains almost no beneficial bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle. Stress-Zyme also does not contain the correct live bacteria needed for the cycle. Your best bet is to seed it with filter media, gravel, decor, anything with a surface area, thats where the bacteria live.

I would recommend against medicating anything if you are just putting them in quarantine until/unless you notice some disease or parasite or something that needs to be handled. I don't recommend needlessly bombarding the fish with medications when they don't show any signs of any problems. The quarantine is so that you can see if anything develops before they pass it onto the other fish in the main display tank.

Gourami Swami · 11-13-2006, 01:50 PM

Cycle the QT tank and put something like some small tetras in there t keep the tank alive

Puffer Pita · 11-13-2006, 03:11 PM

I just use snails.

robyn · 11-14-2006, 02:24 AM

if u using just snails, how much and how often do u feed them?

Puffer Pita · 11-14-2006, 08:31 AM

I use it as my snail breeding tank. They get flakes and algae wafers. The more they eat, the more they breed. When I need to QT, I remove the snails into another tank temporarily, then put them back when I'm done.

11-12-2006, 04:12 PM	#1
malphonse Fishy Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Castle, DE Posts: 12 User Feedback: (0)	Preparations for a quarantine tank I have a spare 10 gal tank that I may be forced to put back in service as a quarantine tank. I have lost a number of fish in my 55 gal tank and will be restocking it with Bala Sharks and Albino Tiger Barbs. I understand that cycling and stabilization are essential, even for a bare quarantine tank. I will not be adding any gravel, but I’ll need beneficial bacteria. My questions: Do I need to create an extra culture from the 55 gal and move it to the 10 gal? Are there other good sources for beneficial bacteria? (I already have stress zyme). What are the proper steps to be followed to get the tank ready? Finally, what medication should I use on the new fishes to get rid of any bacteria, parasites, fungus and viruses before I move them over to the 55 gal? __________________ Someone else's opinion of you does not have to become your reality - Les Brown.

11-13-2006, 10:39 AM	#5
Puffer Pita Puffer Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,677 User Feedback: (0)	Water contains almost no beneficial bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle. Stress-Zyme also does not contain the correct live bacteria needed for the cycle. Your best bet is to seed it with filter media, gravel, decor, anything with a surface area, thats where the bacteria live. I would recommend against medicating anything if you are just putting them in quarantine until/unless you notice some disease or parasite or something that needs to be handled. I don't recommend needlessly bombarding the fish with medications when they don't show any signs of any problems. The quarantine is so that you can see if anything develops before they pass it onto the other fish in the main display tank. __________________ Tina Puffers: Auriglobus silus x2 Colomesus asellus x1 Tetraodon travancoricus x1 Tetraodon biocellatus x2 Tetraodon nigroviridis x1 Tetraodon baileyi x2 Tetraodon lineatus x1 Tetraodon palembangensis x1 The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated. - Mohandas Gandhi

11-13-2006, 01:50 PM	#6
Gourami Swami Supreme Dictator For Life Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere out Yonder... Posts: 1,099 User Feedback: (0)	Cycle the QT tank and put something like some small tetras in there t keep the tank alive __________________

11-13-2006, 03:11 PM	#7
Puffer Pita Puffer Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,677 User Feedback: (0)	I just use snails. __________________ Tina Puffers: Auriglobus silus x2 Colomesus asellus x1 Tetraodon travancoricus x1 Tetraodon biocellatus x2 Tetraodon nigroviridis x1 Tetraodon baileyi x2 Tetraodon lineatus x1 Tetraodon palembangensis x1 The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated. - Mohandas Gandhi

11-14-2006, 02:24 AM	#8
robyn Lost sole Join Date: May 2006 Location: South Africa Age: 19 Posts: 233 User Feedback: (0)	if u using just snails, how much and how often do u feed them? __________________ Robz 29G 1 mollie (moving to QT) 1 guppy(moving to QT) coming soon: 6 otto/cory catfish 3 dwarf gourami 8G QT 2.5G becoming a handrearing ****************atiel thingy

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11-12-2006, 05:16 PM	#2
undertow Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 28 Posts: 1 User Feedback: (0)	you would be best to use water form the 55g when you do water changes and add it to the 10g. make sure you let the 10g cycle properly or it wont be a good QT. when adding fish to the QT tank you should just keep an eye on them to see if they need medicating at all

11-12-2006, 05:35 PM	#3
BV77 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alaska Posts: 467 User Feedback: (0)	hope you know that bala sharks are gonna get so big that a 55 crowds them, then they get skiddish, and jump, sometimes out of the tank, others just into the lid, bruising their noses IME

11-14-2006, 08:31 AM	#9
Puffer Pita Puffer Enthusiast Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,677 User Feedback: (0)	I use it as my snail breeding tank. They get flakes and algae wafers. The more they eat, the more they breed. When I need to QT, I remove the snails into another tank temporarily, then put them back when I'm done. __________________ Tina Puffers: Auriglobus silus x2 Colomesus asellus x1 Tetraodon travancoricus x1 Tetraodon biocellatus x2 Tetraodon nigroviridis x1 Tetraodon baileyi x2 Tetraodon lineatus x1 Tetraodon palembangensis x1 The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated. - Mohandas Gandhi

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