does a quarantine tank need to have a light

The place for all discussions not loach-related concerning freshwater fish keeping. All our members keep other fish so you may benefit from their experience.

Moderator: LoachForumModerators

Post Reply
arny
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 5:45 pm
Location: manchester, UK

does a quarantine tank need to have a light

Post by arny » Sun Aug 08, 2010 8:54 pm

i just upgraded my tank and am looking into buying a small tank to use as a quarantine tank and wondered if it was a must to have a light on the tank

Diana
Posts: 4675
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 1:35 am
Location: Near San Franciso

Post by Diana » Mon Aug 09, 2010 5:54 pm

I would for several reasons:

a) The fish ought to have a natural day/night cycle. If the room is well lit, then this might be plenty.

b) You need to see the fish clearly to be certain they are healthy and free of parasites. If you only add a light when you want to look at them they will startle and hide, making it more difficult to see them. Gotta wait for them to come out of hiding.

c) If you have any live plants in the Q-tank they will need a light.

I would make it a somewhat dim light for a couple of reasons:

a) if the fish are actually sick they probably will feel safer in a dim area, under a rock or a branch.

b) Some medicines are deactivated by light.

Some of these reasons are not compatible with each other, and you need to make the call. Which way to go on this?
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.

Happy fish keeping!

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests