Filter as back up for Hospital/Quarantine Tank

[Lady Samsara]

Having just experienced my first use of a hospital tank that was not
cycled (I did e/o/d water changes) I wanted to verify the use of
keeping a sponge filter going in my main tank. Am I correct that I
set up the filter and leave it going for a few weeks to seed it? Then
when I need to use it I just transfer it to the hospital/quarantine
tank? Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
it bare? Borrow some gravel from the cycled tank? I was thinking of
one of the 2 gallon hex tanks that contain an UGF (I have no room for
anything bigger). Finally, do I put the sponge filter back into the
main tank after use? What if I need to use meds. or the fish is
sick...does that make it dangerous to re-introduce to the main tank?
Thanks so much for any assistance!

[Mr.Nice.]

Twas 21 Aug 2003 10:38:31 -0700 when (Lady
Samsara) put finger to keyboard producing:

>Having just experienced my first use of a hospital tank that was not
>cycled (I did e/o/d water changes) I wanted to verify the use of
>keeping a sponge filter going in my main tank. Am I correct that I
>set up the filter and leave it going for a few weeks to seed it? Then
>when I need to use it I just transfer it to the hospital/quarantine
>tank? Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
>it bare? Borrow some gravel from the cycled tank? I was thinking of
>one of the 2 gallon hex tanks that contain an UGF (I have no room for
>anything bigger). Finally, do I put the sponge filter back into the
>main tank after use? What if I need to use meds. or the fish is
>sick...does that make it dangerous to re-introduce to the main tank?
>Thanks so much for any assistance!

Put the filter for the hospital tank into your main tank and just
leave it there, it'll be cycled in a few weeks.

when you get a sick fish syphon some water into your hospital tank and
move the filter over, using the water from the tank will reduce stress
for the sick fish. no need for any gravel or anthing else, just water
and filter.

treat the fish in the hospital tank and when he is all clear of
disease and you are quite happy about his health then move him back,
avoid water changes during treatment as it'll dilute the medication.

As for what to do with the filter after treatment, I always give it a
really good clean, killing off the bacteria and everything, then it
re-cycles back in the main tank. As my main tank is around 105
USgallons the little filter doesn't alter the tank at all while it's
cycling.

Be sure that your filter for the hospital tank contains no activated
carbon or charcoal or whatever else they are calling it now.

HTH


--
Regards.
Mark.(AKA, Mr.Nice.)
__________________________________________________ _________
"To know the character of a man, give him anonymity" - Mr.Nice.
http://www.mr-nice.rulestheweb.com mr.niceATsofthome.net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mrnice106
__________________________________________________ _________

[Anna Hayward]

In article >, Lady
Samsara > writes
>Having just experienced my first use of a hospital tank that was not
>cycled (I did e/o/d water changes) I wanted to verify the use of
>keeping a sponge filter going in my main tank. Am I correct that I
>set up the filter and leave it going for a few weeks to seed it? Then
>when I need to use it I just transfer it to the hospital/quarantine
>tank? Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
>it bare? Borrow some gravel from the cycled tank? I was thinking of
>one of the 2 gallon hex tanks that contain an UGF (I have no room for
>anything bigger). Finally, do I put the sponge filter back into the
>main tank after use? What if I need to use meds. or the fish is
>sick...does that make it dangerous to re-introduce to the main tank?
>Thanks so much for any assistance!

Hi,
I always have a sponge filter in my main tank. In my Juwel tanks I have
the sponge bit of the filter stuffed in the column filter.

When I need a hospital tank or quarantine tank I usually take some water
from the main tank (it's only a 3 gal tank) and set up the matured
sponge filter.

Afterwards I sterilise the filter sponge in methylene blue, rinse it and
return it to the main tank for next time. In a dire emergency, if I
don't have a seeded sponge filter, I've bought one of those plastic
filters that you have to stuff with filter wool, and I stuff it with
sponge, floss or whatever I can salvage from the main tank's filter.

I don't use gravel in my hospital tank, but I do keep some disgusting
pink plastic plants aside for cover, and a ceramic ornament to act as a
cave. I sterilise them all in baby bottle sterilising fluid after use.
--
Anna Hayward
Email me at: alienvisitor AT ratbag DOT demon DOT co DOT uk

[Donald Kerns]

Lady Samsara wrote:

> Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
> it bare?

Um, every time I've set up a hospital tank "really nice" a fish finds
its way to my house to take up permanent residence...

It's really quite funny how it happens. Poof, all of a sudden I've got
another fish. ;-)

-D
--
"When you've lost your ability to laugh, you've lost your ability to
think straight." -To Inherit the Wind

[Graham Ramsay]

"Lady Samsara" wrote
> Having just experienced my first use of a hospital tank that was not
> cycled (I did e/o/d water changes) I wanted to verify the use of
> keeping a sponge filter going in my main tank.

I always keep a sponge filter in one of the baskets of my canister filter.
When I come to use it I put another in there. When I'm finished with
it I throw it away if there is any chance of contamination with nasties.
I have a few plastic plants in my hospital (actually it's used for
growing out fry almost always) tank and it's bare apart from
that to make it easy to clean.
If I have tiny fry I'll throw in a clump of Java Moss.

--
Graham Ramsay
You might be a Bright:
www.the-brights.net

[Anna Hayward]

In article >, Donald Kerns <kernsdSPAMLIG
> writes
>Lady Samsara wrote:
>
>> Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
>> it bare?
>
>Um, every time I've set up a hospital tank "really nice" a fish finds
>its way to my house to take up permanent residence...
>
>It's really quite funny how it happens. Poof, all of a sudden I've got
>another fish. ;-)

Oh, that's Expanding Fishtank Syndrome (EFS). It usually starts when
someone says "Hey, how about getting some tropical fish? I've heard
they're very relaxing..."
--
Anna Hayward
Email me at: alienvisitor AT ratbag DOT demon DOT co DOT uk

Anna's Pregnancy, Parenting and Autism page:
http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna/

[NetMax]

"Anna Hayward" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Donald Kerns
<kernsdSPAMLIG
> > writes
> >Lady Samsara wrote:
> >
> >> Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
> >> it bare?
> >
> >Um, every time I've set up a hospital tank "really nice" a fish finds
> >its way to my house to take up permanent residence...
> >
> >It's really quite funny how it happens. Poof, all of a sudden I've got
> >another fish. ;-)
>
> Oh, that's Expanding Fishtank Syndrome (EFS). It usually starts when
> someone says "Hey, how about getting some tropical fish? I've heard
> they're very relaxing..."
> --
> Anna Hayward

IMHO EFS usually starts with the feeder goldfish won at the local
carnival. Most people would be fine if they threw away the first little
tank after their first upgrade to a 10 or 20g, but no, they can't throw a
perfectly good 2.5g or 5.5g away, nor can it be left empty for too long
("we already have the cover, gravel & filter" is what I always hear them
saying). That's when I suggest a Betta, a snail and an ADF (so they
don't even have to buy a heater). The Betta is stage 2 of the EFS, when
they discover that tropical fish have personalities. At this point,
there is almost no turning back ;~)

NetMax

[Donald Kerns]

NetMax wrote:

>
> "Anna Hayward" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In article >, Donald Kerns
> <kernsdSPAMLIG
>> > writes
>> >Lady Samsara wrote:
>> >
>> >> Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
>> >> it bare?
>> >
>> >Um, every time I've set up a hospital tank "really nice" a fish
>> >finds its way to my house to take up permanent residence...
>> >
>> >It's really quite funny how it happens. Poof, all of a sudden I've
>> >got
>> >another fish. ;-)
>>
>> Oh, that's Expanding Fishtank Syndrome (EFS). It usually starts when
>> someone says "Hey, how about getting some tropical fish? I've heard
>> they're very relaxing..."
>> --
>> Anna Hayward
>
> IMHO EFS usually starts with the feeder goldfish won at the local
> carnival. Most people would be fine if they threw away the first
> little tank after their first upgrade to a 10 or 20g, but no, they
> can't throw a perfectly good 2.5g or 5.5g away, nor can it be left
> empty for too long ("we already have the cover, gravel & filter" is
> what I always hear them
> saying). That's when I suggest a Betta, a snail and an ADF (so they
> don't even have to buy a heater). The Betta is stage 2 of the EFS,
> when
> they discover that tropical fish have personalities. At this point,
> there is almost no turning back ;~)

BTDT, Bought the tee-shirt.

You *******s! ;-)

-Donald
--
"When you've lost your ability to laugh, you've lost your ability to
think straight." -To Inherit the Wind

[Lady Samsara]

"NetMax" > wrote in message >...
> "Anna Hayward" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >, Donald Kerns
> <kernsdSPAMLIG
> > > writes
> > >Lady Samsara wrote:
> > >
> > >> Would I set up the extra tank with gravel or it's best to keep
> > >> it bare?
> > >
> > >Um, every time I've set up a hospital tank "really nice" a fish finds
> > >its way to my house to take up permanent residence...
> > >
> > >It's really quite funny how it happens. Poof, all of a sudden I've got
> > >another fish. ;-)
> >
> > Oh, that's Expanding Fishtank Syndrome (EFS). It usually starts when
> > someone says "Hey, how about getting some tropical fish? I've heard
> > they're very relaxing..."
> > --
> > Anna Hayward
>
> IMHO EFS usually starts with the feeder goldfish won at the local
> carnival. Most people would be fine if they threw away the first little
> tank after their first upgrade to a 10 or 20g, but no, they can't throw a
> perfectly good 2.5g or 5.5g away, nor can it be left empty for too long
> ("we already have the cover, gravel & filter" is what I always hear them
> saying). That's when I suggest a Betta, a snail and an ADF (so they
> don't even have to buy a heater). The Betta is stage 2 of the EFS, when
> they discover that tropical fish have personalities. At this point,
> there is almost no turning back ;~)
>
> NetMax

My thanks for all the input! Actually, I started with Bettas. When I
set up my community tank with Danios I was a little dissapointed.
They are nice to watch but no personality! If it weren't for that
little Betta girl in there....:).

[Anna Hayward]

>My thanks for all the input! Actually, I started with Bettas. When I
>set up my community tank with Danios I was a little dissapointed.
>They are nice to watch but no personality! If it weren't for that
>little Betta girl in there....:).

If you like personality, try mollies. I've recently got into livebearers
and I was surprised to discover just how much personality they have. I
have a large, orange male sailfin called Dyson. His mate is Ewbank and
there are two other females who recently lost their mates (disaster when
I went away on holiday) called Spot and Shiny. Shiny is a silver short-
finned molly. I'll leave it to your imagination what kind spot is!

Other "personality fish" include bristle-nosed pl*cs (mine is called
Brillo) and gouramis.
--
Anna Hayward, Alien Visitor
Email me at: alienvisitor AT ratbag DOT demon DOT co DOT uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The alt.support.autism FAQ is at: http://www.mugsy.org/asa_faq

[NetMax]

"Anna Hayward" > wrote in message
...
> >My thanks for all the input! Actually, I started with Bettas. When I
> >set up my community tank with Danios I was a little dissapointed.
> >They are nice to watch but no personality! If it weren't for that
> >little Betta girl in there....:).
>
> If you like personality, try mollies. I've recently got into
livebearers
> and I was surprised to discover just how much personality they have. I
> have a large, orange male sailfin called Dyson. His mate is Ewbank and
> there are two other females who recently lost their mates (disaster
when
> I went away on holiday) called Spot and Shiny. Shiny is a silver short-
> finned molly. I'll leave it to your imagination what kind spot is!
>
> Other "personality fish" include bristle-nosed pl*cs (mine is called
> Brillo) and gouramis.

Defining & comparing 'personality' fish is a very subjective thing to try
to do, so I'll try to stay objective ;~). When I think of fish
personality, I define group personality very seperate from individual
personality. In groups (and with a large enough aquarium), fish will
naturally do the darndest things to keep surprising you. Add a little
human intervention (like an oversize pellet to a tank of mature Tiger
Barbs who will start a game of Rugby), and the entertainment just grows.

With individual behavior, I usually attribute the strongest personalities
to larger size, diet and complexity of interaction with other fish.
Large fish always seem more thoughtful (bigger brain?). Omnivores appear
to think more than carnivores who appear to think more than herbivores
(some comparisons with land animals as well, bear-lion-cow or
Firemouth-Piranha-Silver Dollar). There doesn't seem to be as big a gap
between true carnivores and herbivores, who are both very specialized and
tightly focused. The flexibility which omnivores exhibit, also forces
the deciding if something should be eaten.

The complexity of mating methods also mirrors the potential
personalities. Egg scatterers have very few decisions to make regarding
their mates, and exhibit no parental care. This is reflected in a more
shallow personality. Convicts, while not very particular about their
mates, are very successful in working as a team, in deception or in
defense. The more involved and elaborate the mating behaviour and
fry-rearing is, the more decisions need to be made, so the fish is better
adapted to making more decisions. Decision adaptability makes for more
personality (IMHO of course).

So to Flash, I humbly submit that Brillo has a lot of _character_ ;~)

NetMax

> Anna Hayward, Alien Visitor
> Email me at: alienvisitor AT ratbag DOT demon DOT co DOT uk
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
---
> "Everybody is somebody else's wierdo" - Dilbert (by Scott Adams)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
---
> The alt.support.autism FAQ is at: http://www.mugsy.org/asa_faq