Hospital Tank???

[Keeper of the Ropes]

This could potentially be the stupidest question ever asked, but it seems to me some teacher in school told me that there's no such thing as one of those. I still have a feeling someone will laugh, but hey, at least I'll get someone to smile.

I have a hospital tank set up - and there's no longer any fish in it. And I was wondering... Do you have to do water changes on a hospital tank? I know there's nothing in there to make the ammonia or nitrates spike, but... yeah. I don't know lol

Should you keep some sort of fish in the hospital tank as a resident or leave it alone?

Keeper*

 

[bigspizz]

I would clean the filter (If it was ich or other contagious disease) and put it on a running tank, and drain the hospital fully. When you need to use it again fill it up prime the water and throw the filter back on it...

 

[Ianab]

Not a silly question.

If you leave it with no fish then there is no ammonia going into the tank, so the nitrogen cycle bacteria will eventually die off.

2 options.

1 - like bigspizz said, take out the filter, steralise it if needed and put it in another tank so it's ready to go next time. Good option if you dont want to leave the tank set up.

2 - Throw some 'crash test dummy' fish in the tank to keep it cycled untill it's needed as hospital or quarantine again. That way you can just treat it like a normal tank, feed and water change as needed. It will be cycled and ready to go when you need it, just net out the crash test fish and drop the new/sick ones in the established tank. My little quaratine tank has a BN pleco and 6 guppys in there at the moment to keep it ticking over untill it's needed.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Kitiara]

leave it set up with some livebearers in there - breed a few feeder fish

 

[Keeper of the Ropes]

Thanks I have a few Mollies I could throw in there. I like the idea of it being ready at the drop of a hat (you just never know lol). Plus that way, there will be some nutritious food in the tank already if they feel like being sick picky eaters.

Keeper*