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Hello

This tank will be my QT tank for my fishies if they are ever sick. Hopefully, it will be needed for that purpose very, very infrequently & in the meantime, I'm looking for ideas on what fish to keep it cycled.

If ever it does need to be used for meds, temporarily I'd move it's permanent resident/s to the community tank, only to move them back home when the meds are finished. The tank will be fairly basic, so I'm able to observe any sick fishies that might be in there. Maybe just a few small rocks & fake plants.

I'd prefer it not to be a gourami. For some reason they don't appeal. What about some Chilli Barbs. I had been thinking of danios, but they might be too hard to catch if ever I have to put them in the community tank & then have to move them back to their permanent home (QT tank).

I know the tank is small, but it's the best I could afford to buy to use as a spare, so any suggestion / advice on how many and what type you think would be happy in such a small tank would be great. Thank you

Cheers
TW

Robyn,

I'd prefer it not to be a gourami. For some reason they don't appeal.

Ok, not everybody has to like them and in this case, I agree, they would simply not be suited for the task at hand.

Your fish should not be too big, too fast, and compatible with your community fish. On the other hand, being overly attached to this fish (or these fish) can cause problems in the future as you will start to feel sorry for it (them) in the bare QT. Also moving in and out is not easy on a fish,so it must be hardy as well.

In any case, the tank has to be very low on the stocking, as any time you need to medicate you afterwards would like to remove the medication and this will most likely upset the biological filter.

Considering all these facts will leave you with little options, you do the math .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Instead of keeping fish in it to keep it cycled, you could just leave it bare and run a small sponge filter in your main tank. In no time the sponge will be chock-full of all sorts of bacteria goodness, so when you need to use the hospital tank, just transfer the sponge over and you're in business.

Joe Potato

Hi Ingo

Ok, not everybody has to like them and in this case, I agree, they would simply not be suited for the task at hand.

Sorry about that & sorry to other gourami lovers. I had 3 gourami as my first tropical, so I did like them then - one gold, one blue, one white or creamish coloured. (LFS sold these as cycle fish. Most people have since told me you can't mix the types because of aggression - you'd think LFS would have told me). There was constant aggression in my tank which upset me, so I returned them. I've seen a picture of your pearl & agree it looks lovely, but the above is the reason I've stayed away from gourami since then - just my experience with the aggression.

Hi Joe Potato

In no time the sponge will be chock-full of all sorts of bacteria goodness, so when you need to use the hospital tank, just transfer the sponge over and you're in business.

The QT is under gravel filter, so I don't know how I would do that. There really isn't anywhere to put the sponge, or is there ???

I'd still really like to hear any suggestions that anyone thinks might work. In the end I could put a couple of little feeder fish, but if I could have 1 or 2 fish I could actually enjoy, that'd be nice too. Fake plants to make them feel at home when not being used as a QT - then these can be quickly pulled out when it's a hospital tank & I need it bare.

Best would be fish that are not too big or too fast and that are peaceful. Thanks in advance.

Cheers
TW

You're right in that a QT/hospital tank should be rather basic. Plants and/or some sort of caves/shelter are good to have though to give the fish security.

Danios are very hard to catch IMO. I'm not sure what Chilli Barbs are though

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

By sponge filter, I meant something like this.

Basically, it wouldn't attach to your UG filter. It would just sit in the tank hooked up to an air pump. You normally don't need that much filtration with a QT tank because the stocking isn't normally that heavy, so I've always used sponge filters, and they've been more than adequate in dealing with the ammonia.

If you're still interested in getting fish, I'd recommend that you get yourself a male of one of the larger livebearers (like a molly). Avoid a female because it may already be pregnant when you get it from the store and you'd find yourself with another half dozen fish on your hands. However, a male molly or swordtail should suffice.

Joe Potato

Hi Joe Potato. The tank came with an undergravel filter. Wouldn't have been my 1st choice for a filter, but this tank was on special, 50% off. I couldn't have afforded an extra tank for this purpose otherwise. I have never seen one of those sponge filters here in OZ, but they seem really cheap & I'd give that a try if I could find one here.

I like your idea about a sailfin mollie, as I wanted one of those anyway & I've already picked my stock for the community tank. Will it be lonely on it's own. My daughter would like it to be a male Betta. How would a male Betta do in my community tank, when I needed to use the QT for meds. My community tank will have guppys, platys, Bolivian ram, ottos, rasboras & panda corys. Will they get on, or would I need one of those Betta suction tanks to put inside the community. My preference I think would be sailfin mollie anyway, but she'd like to consider the QT hers, other than the times I need it as a hospital.

Hi Theresa

Danios are very hard to catch IMO. I'm not sure what Chilli Barbs are though

Agree about the danios, otherwise, I'd like those. All I can say about the Chilli Barbs are they are orange with a blacks spot on their bodies. They are in the same tank as the tiger barbs at LFS. I couldn't find a profile here. They are pretty & about the same size as tiger barbs, but I don't know their growth potential.

Cheers
TW

Could your Chilli Barb be a Ruby Barb? http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/454.htm
If you want to keep fish in the QT what about Cherry barbs?

You should be able to find the filters that Joe mentioned in Aus. Heres one online, little bit different but works the same.
http://www.equarium.com.au/store/detail.asp?id=342&cat=28

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Hi Lindy

Could your Chilli Barb be a Ruby Barb?

It doesn't look like that. It is no where near the size mentioned in the profile (2.4 inches) but I don't know how old they are either. It's a definite brilliant uniform orange (not red) & has a pefectly round black spot on it's body. Yes, Cherry Barbs would be an ok for the permanent resident/s. How many would be safe in that tank, do you think?

Thanks for the filter link. Is that filter good enough to use all the time, instead of the undergravel for the permanent residents (when I get them)? At the moment I have a little guppy in the tank (he was being fin nipped & practicallly has no tail left - he's the reason I rushed out to buy the tank). I'm medicating him there. This undergravel filter seems very strong, & whether or not it is his damaged tail, he seems to struggle swimming around in there. I have some floating moss balls in there, which look like they're are blowing in the breeze. They never swayed around like that in the community tank. So, I'm thinking this undergravel filter may be too strong. If that sponge one is sufficient, I'll could swap over permanently, do you think? I can't see a motor, so how does it work. I think Joe Potato said it attaches to an airstone, but I don't understand how that works. Wouldn't that be pushing the water out, instead of drawing the water through the sponge. Also, which do you think it would be better to order, the cheaper sponge filter or the Bio Clear Double Sponge filter that is a little dearer.

Cheers
TW

Cherry barbs are quite nice and don't have to be kept in schools like other barbs, so you could have just a pair.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Are you setting up the QT with fish because of the concern of having to set the tank up and going through cycling while treating sick fish? Or is it just that you cant stand the thought of an empty tank?
If you can bear to have an empty tank I would keep the sponge from that filter I linked to in an old stocking or netting of some sort in your main tank where it will be seeded with the bacteria needed to establish the QT when in use.
I have always found that my QT tanks that had fish just to keep it cycled became part of the fish collection. Before I knew it the tank was fully stocked with fish and plants!

Oh, and the filter is driven by an air pump. The Bio-Clear Double Sponge Filter might be better. I dont think a UGF is necessary in a QT, it doesnt get set up often for sick fish (hopefully) and new fish would only be in there long enough to get the ammonia and nitrite spiking before they were ready to go into their new house. (making them sick/weak)

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Thanks Theresa & Lindy

BTW, nice new pic Theresa.

Are you setting up the QT with fish because of the concern of having to set the tank up and going through cycling while treating sick fish? Or is it just that you cant stand the thought of an empty tank?

It's a little of both. I rushed out & got new QT because of my guppy's tail & my other tank is being used to QT my new stock for the community tank. Bad luck in that QT, as one of the new fish brought in whitespot, so I'm treating that tank. Med for guppy is different & the med's can't be mixed.

I thought I needed to keep a fish in QT to keep it cycled - didn't know about sponge filter idea. However, I also hate thought of an empty tank & my daughter asked if she could consider this tank & fish in it hers. Provided the fish she chooses is from suggestions from FP members in this thread, I said ok. It's also provided she doesn't mind if, very infrequently (I hope) her fish has to move out, while I use it as QT.

She'll always want "her fish" to move back to "her tank". So that I don't get over attached to QT, the plants will be fake with simple rocks etc. When used as QT, some of these can be easily removed to make observation easier, whilst still leaving in some for hiding spaces & security for sick fish.

I'm going to order the Bio-Clear Double Sponge Filter, so thanks for link & advice. The UGF is too strong for small tank, esp. if occupant is a weakened sick fish. Poor guppy is being thrown around. Is the Bio-Clear filter ok for permanent use, or only good enough for short period of time? If not good enough, will it work whenever I have healthy fish to turn on the UGF? How will it effect any of the bacteria trapped under the gravel, if UGF isn't turned on for a period of time? What does anyone think about that?

Expanding on the stocking idea, to help the new QT cycle for this little guppy, could I put one of the sponges from the community tank in a stocking & just dump it in the tank to help the bacteria along? I'd have to put a new sponge in the community tank, but conditions are good in there & it could probably cope with that.

Thank

Cheers
TW

I'm not sure how well a UGF will work being unused for periods of time. You might find the dirt it has collected might seep up and pollute the water while its not in use. I would personally use the sponge filter. Its a small tank and it wont be highly stocked so it should be sufficient.

could I put one of the sponges from the community tank in a stocking & just dump it in the tank to help the bacteria along?

Yep, you could do that. You could also grab a couple of handfuls of gravel from the community tank and place that in a stocking. It will do the same thing.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Ok, thanks. Think I'm all sorted now. Sponge filter ordered & daughter can choose from 1 male sailfin mollie. or male swordtail or platy or 2 male cherry barbs (unless someone has extra suggestions). A choice won't be made until the guppy has grown his tail back, which will be a few weeks.

Thanks to everyone. Any other stocking suggestions still welcome.

Cheers
TW