question about quarantine tank

[adamrf1126]

About two weeks ago, i bought a 12 gallon tank which i now have cycling with 4 leopard danios. After a 1 or 2 months when it is fully cycled, i am planning to move the danios to my community tank, and keep the 12 gallon as a quarantine tank.
My question is:
is 12 gallons a big enough quarantine tank to hold most fish for a month or two before i move them to my community?
I am hoping to get about 7 more striata to add to the 2 i currently have, maybe some kubotai or yo-yo's if i can find them around, as well as some more upper level fish.


Also, if the quarantine tank has no fish in it, but still water, is there anything i need to do to maintain the bacteria in the filter, and keep the tank going?

[MoonPye]

I kept my empty tank's bacteria going by adding small amounts of ammonia every day / every other day.

I'm sure if you do a search on fishless cycling you'll get lots of info.

[wasserscheu]

Hi,

for good reason I´m currently also focusing on a longterm quarantine setup. I was thinking about having a few plants in pots, at the main tank, that I can move quickly to the Q-tank, to give fish a “home-invironment”. Further, I will portion my filtermaterial in such way, that splitting it with a new filter for the Q-tank can be done anytime. A bowl in the maintank with some sand will also be ready. If the new fish are ok, the stuff can be reused, if not, it can be thrown away… I´ll also use water from the main tank. I will use at least a 1´ tank (which is rather small, but using smart hiding opportunities may make them feel comfortable), possibly I get a larger one soon, that I may buy used… I´ll use “easy to clean” decoration, so I´m not hold back to do the Q-tank, when short on time…that´s my hurdle..I´ll also keep a place in a free for “Q” only…

Re. keeping bacteria alive, here my 2ct,… they need O2 and food and about 24°C(?) temperature. Just a very few flakes per day may possibly serve as food. I´m no expert, but keep looking into this points

[chefkeith]

12g is good sized q-tank.

Other things are personal preference.
You don't need to keep a q-tank going full time. You could Unplug the filter if you want and keep some extra filter media prepared in your main tank.

[Tinman]

I like keeping an extra heater and filter going for my QT in my main systen then set up a tank appropriate to the size needed for the specific situation . If I read this right you only have 2 striata and a few dithers so I would not QT in this situation .There is more risk to your new fish in a small tank than to just 2 fish already in your set-up there which you did not state the size of. I would put in my new purchases and treat all fish with Levimosal 3 times, then QT any more later purchases.
The point of a QT is to protect your previous investment and fish, with few or almost no fish at risk it is safer for your new ones to be in the proper set-up IMO. Small QT for the full 6 weeks will not be sufficient for 7 striata and some kubs IMHO. It will not stay constant in water conditions for the duration without extreme vigilance. 12 gallons crashes very fast. This would be ok for maybe three striata. I used a 55 for 6 striata personally but we all differ in opinion.

A dry tank for a QT does not become a home for a fish you can't resist on a whim while at the LFS so I belive in no extra space for purchases unless needed ,thought out and then made after thinking some more .

[shari2]

A 12g will work as a qtank. mine is a 10g.

I keep sponges on the intakes of my main tanks to use as ready-to-go biomaterial for a qtank when needed.

Another thing to remember is that you should never increase the bioload of your main tank too much at a time. For instance adding 7 striata, and kub's/yoyos at the same time would be too much all at once. Better to qtank a few fish at a time depending on how much waste they produce. Larger fish=more waste.

[adamrf1126]

i would never try to put that many fish in such a small tank. I was saying maybe i would get some striata, and then when they were through quarantine, get some kubotai or yo-yos

[Tinman]

I see. I think I was somewhat mis-understood myself. I always set up whatever size QT I deem fit for each case. My point was if you set a whole tank up at once then treat the QT becomes mute when the value of the fish you are protecting is substantially less than your new purchases .

I think you are better putting them in the correct enviroment first as opposed to keeping them in a risky place for some duration which itself causes problems. I decide all the inhabitants ,and purchase them small and place them in a new set up using a filter from an existing set up to avoid any cycling time at all.
I mean the entire system is designed and sized for the occupants at full grown size so babys can all grow up together for years as opposed to adding slowly with some already deciding they are dominant,then bickering as fish are added. All ideas shared are good ideas,some work for others and some do not. The local marine fish store here sells collections that grow up together all as very small fish as a package. He selects groups that work well together and you just buy a tank and drop these collections in, instant tank that grows and develops together.......