Can quarantine tanks stunt fish?

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MultipleTankSyndrome

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Sep 25, 2021
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My only quarantine tank, a 38 liter, is much too small long term for just about everything (signature, 2022 tank) that will be quarantined within it. I am going to be giving the roseline sharks their quarantine period in the 473 liter (they will be the first fish introduced, will be left alone for the standard 4 weeks, and nothing else will be introduced unless it's been quarantined for 4 weeks) in order to sidestep that problem and prevent something like this from happening: https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/red-lines-dying-one-one-one.745365/#post-8401479

However, the problem is that I can only do this once (with the first species I introduce) without running the risk of introducing a deadly pathogen. This may present some problems down the road with some of the other species, which could also have their health compromised/growth stunted from being in a 38 liter tank too long.
My greatest concerns is the pink tail chalceus. Even at store-size I keep envisioning the latter becoming claustophobic, hitting its head on the wall of the quarantine tank, and dying before the 4 weeks end.

So, especially with regards to the pink tail chalceus, would the small size of the quarantine tank be something I need to worry about? Or is it too much fuss over nothing?
 
Good to hear on the growth, at least I won't need to worry about that. But what do you think of the chalceus becoming claustrophobic and killing itself some time in that 1 month timeframe? That's even more of a worry than stunting to me.
 
Rocksor said:
What's also important is the daily water changes.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. It's not the 4 walls that stunt a fish, its the quality of the water.
In a small tank, water quality degrades very quickly.
An example might be, that a 10 gallon tank nitrate will creep up much faster than in a 55 or much slower in 100 gallons.
If water changes keep up with the uptick in nitrate/pollutant creep, stunting will be non-existent.
In a small tank large daily, 90% water changes may be needed, whereas in a 100 gal, weekly 40% water changes may only be needed to keep quality up.
 
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The tip on daily water replacements is good, even if it's not relevant to claustrophobic chalceus. I was planning to keep the NO3 in the quarantine tank as close to undetectable as possible and a max of 5 ppm, as with the rest of my tanks (as per prior advice from duanes), so it's good to know daily water replacements may be needed for that.
 
Here is an example
I bought a group of 6 juvie Vieja bifasciatta, and put them into a 6 ft tank to grow out.
One continued to remain small (a male, the others females), it seemed the other 5 wouldn't let it get enough to eat.
The females easily hit 8", but the male stayed maybe 3".
I gave the male its own tank, very small (maybe only 30 gallons or so), but.....
that tank was in line on a sump, with 4 other tanks, so shared about 300 gallons, and got every other day 30% to 40% water changes.
The tiny male, quickly outgrew the other females in only a month or two, and later became the alpha of the group when returned to the 6 ft tank.
l
 
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The hospital tank in question is the 38 liter tank I mention at the start of the thread. 50 cm long.

I don't know what the chalceus' size will be as I have yet to purchase it and there is no definitive source yet, but one possible source offers 9 cm.
 
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