[Wet Thumb Forum]-Quarantine Tank Sizing?

[Jim Miller]

I'm planning to do a 120G (4x2x2) in my new house eventually but along the way I thought I'd like to bring up a smaller tank to continue to learn about 'scaping and fishkeeping while I get the monster going.

I could then use the smaller tank as a quarantine tank or just another tank in the house.

I'm thinking a 10G (20x10x12) or a 20G (20x12x16) would be good choices.

I'm sorta leaning toward the 20G as something that would be more of a step up from my tiny 3G but I'm worried that it may be too big for a quarantine tank.

Any suggestions?

tnx
jtm

[Jim Miller]

I'm planning to do a 120G (4x2x2) in my new house eventually but along the way I thought I'd like to bring up a smaller tank to continue to learn about 'scaping and fishkeeping while I get the monster going.

I could then use the smaller tank as a quarantine tank or just another tank in the house.

I'm thinking a 10G (20x10x12) or a 20G (20x12x16) would be good choices.

I'm sorta leaning toward the 20G as something that would be more of a step up from my tiny 3G but I'm worried that it may be too big for a quarantine tank.

Any suggestions?

tnx
jtm

[m.lemay]

A quarantine tank can be any size you want it to be. I have a ten gallon that started out as a quarantine but slowly it has evolved into a planted guppy tank. Generally speaking, a quarantine tank is supposed to be bare bones so that you can isolate sick fish or plants and use medications if needed. 3 gal is definitely too small for a quarantine tank though. Its just too difficult to meter medications in a small tank like that because it doesn't leave much room for error. Most medications are designed to be added to a tank in 10 gal increments, usually 1 dose for 10gals,2for20 etc... Id say 10 gals is just right for a quarantine tank.

75 gal,pressurized CO2 with controller, 3WPG PC lighting,gravel/flourite 50/50 substrate, Filstar XP3, GH=7,KH=5,PH=6.9

[JLudwig]

Marcel hit on the most important point of a quarantine tank -- its important to keep it from turning into another planted tank . I use a bare bottom ten, driftwood, clay pot, java fern on driftwood and I thrown my riccia clipping in there... this way everything is movable. Only filtration is a corner filter with activated carbon and poly foam cut out to fit. I've had a lot of luck placing the filter media inside another filter of an established tank for a week before a new purchase, this really helps seed the tank...

Jeff