Quarantine Tank Setup

[Jaz]

After the last time I introduced a bristlenose to the tank it brought ich (white spot) with it which killed several of my loaches.

I'd like to introduce the new replacement loaches (I'm down to one now) via a quarantine tank this time so I don't get a spread of sickness through my sharks and trevassae again as they perhaps may not get through it again.
I'm looking at adding another 4/5 loaches. The remaining one seems in good health.

So in setting it up you obviously need to cycle the tank, I'll be removing some water from my main tank as a starter.

What I need to know:
-Will a small 1foot tank do the job?
-How long should I should quarantine?

[wombat1100]

Hi Jaz, seems like a smart move we all should probably do , but i doubt many people actually do it!
I would think the tank size u have is fine depending on the amount of fish you will be quarantining at a time.
I would take all of the water from my tank that is already cycled and add it to a bare tank, no substrate at all, I would add a air stone with a fair bit of agitation for the water and just a box filter would do i would think. regular water changes every other day with more water from the cycled tank and a heater of course

I am just guessing on all this by the way so if any one else has an opinion that is better just add it!


I would think u need to quarantine the fish for 2 weeks at a guess.
hope this helps, dunno if its accurate! its just what i would do if i was setting up one for myself.

Dazz

[Woodsy]

I don't like to recommend tropical tanks be set up in anything less than an 18" tank, but apart from that what Wombat has suggested seems fine. Using water from your main tank won't really do that much in terms of keeping down NH3, but it does help in ensuring that the parameters in your Q tank and your display are very similar. This will help reduce acclimatisation stress when you eventually move them.
If you want to get the filter up and running asap, i would suggest using one of the modern sponge filters such as this one by Heto:
http://www.aquaria.com.au/catalog/popup_im...8a81d0ba4a871b7 (http://www.aquaria.com.au/catalog/popup_image.php/pID/8427?osCsid=383ff38835a9405358a81d0ba4a871b7)
Or something similar to that, and then you can either seed it with a double does of something like Cycle by Nutrafin (Hagen)
or Stability:
http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Stability.html
or seed directly with media from your existing filtration system, depending on what variety it is.

[Jaz]

I have an internal filter (120lph) and a hang on filter, the eventual plan is to get an external filter for the main tank and use either (or both) of the existing filters on the Q tank. See here (http://www.thefishtank.com.au/forums/showthread.php?p=3257#post3257)

I also have my old heater, which was too small for the 3ft, it couldn't keep up.