Quarantine/Hospital Setup

[CharlesMTF]

So... I'd like to have a way to quickly put up a hospital or quarantine tank. I don't want to have an empty cycled tank up just sitting, waiting, due to space... and I don't want to drop extra sponge filters into my main tanks, due to aesthetics, in order to have the "bacteria-ready" filter.

However... I was thinking... if I took one of those pre-filters and put that on the input for my canister of the main tank, would I be able to then, when necessary, take the pre-filter, and put it in the quarantine tank (as a prefilter to an uncycled filter, or rigged as a sponge filter itself), and have a "somewhat" cycled tank?

 

[Nate77]

Keep a sponge filter sized appropriatly for your qt tank in your tank or sump if you have one, then just a matter of moving from main tank to qt tank to trash when you done.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

I tend to keep some extra internal powerfilters in all my tanks if i have to qt quick.

 

[Rocksor]

Considering that the bacteria population will only grow to the size of the avaiable amount of ammonia and nitrite in the main tank, you could take any media from your primary biological filter. More bacteria will tend to grow in areas where there is frequent food supply, so putting a pre-filter sponge on your canister would be a good way to have seeded media ready for a QT. And you are correct that the pre-filter would be a good start. I've done this on a several occassions and never had an instantly cycled QT, but, it did get cycled within 1-2 weeks of adding the material. I either pre-mixed tap water and water conditioner in another container with a circulating pump for at least 1 hour or used tank water from the main tank that was free of debris and detritus for daily 25%+ water changes on QT until it was fully cycled.

 

[CharlesMTF]

Maybe what I'll do is put a 10 gallon under the main tank's stand hidden away, and keep a bunch of low maintenance fish or snails or something to produce the ammonia, and keep a bunch of sponge filters in there. Might be the best way. I don't like the sponge filters in my main tank.