Quarantine Tank/Breeding Tank Advice

"rapdor" wrote in message
...
Any advice or comments on what I should buy to set myself up with an
all-purpose quarantine tank/breeding tank to compliment my 75 US gallon
freshwater community (all small fish) tropical tank would be much
appreciated. For example:

1 Is just a cheap air-pump driven box filter suitable or should it be a
hang-on

The box filter would be fine. In a quarantine tank, you're going to have to
tear it down and steralize after having sick fish in it, so the simpler the
equipment, the better. Keep the box filter, or just the media, in your 75's
filter, make room.


2 What size (my other tank is 75 US gallons, community tank with
small
freshwater tropicals)

Ten gallons should be sufficient, IMO.



3 What about lighting/tank hood

Basic lighting. The standard light that comes in a ten hood should be fine.
Flourescent, not incandescent. Incandescents create heat, making it a little
more difficult to regulatr temp, especially in a small tank.


4 What else do I need to consider, bearing in mind that I want it to be
as multi-functional as possible, ie., I only want to own my large tank,
and
this one other small tank for the various contingencies that arise

Decent electronic heater, (ebo-jager, imo)IME, no substrate, no decorations,
no nothing you're not willing to throw away or steralize. With a 75, and a
ten as quarantine, when you need the tank, siphon ten gallons outa the 75,
pull your box filter media out, slap it into the filter, drop it in, and
you're set.


hth

billy

"rapdor" wrote in message
...
Any advice or comments on what I should buy to set myself up with an
all-purpose quarantine tank/breeding tank to compliment my 75 US gallon
freshwater community (all small fish) tropical tank would be much
appreciated. For example:

1 Is just a cheap air-pump driven box filter suitable or should it
be a
hang-on

Either will do. I dislike rattling airpumps, but if that's what you
have, it will work fine. A small powerfilter might be less trouble. An
internal canister is tidy (in use, storage or for cleaning), nothing is
hanging out the tank except a power cord and they are easy to prime with
bacteria. Something like a Fluval 1 or 2 (does anyone else make little
internal canisters?).

2 What size (my other tank is 75 US gallons, community tank with
small
freshwater tropicals)

Between 10 & 20g from your description of fish.

3 What about lighting/tank hood

Lighting is basically only for inspection and for them to establish a
sleep cycle. Indirect light from a window and a shop light on a cord
will do the trick. An incandescent light hood on a timer will work fine
too. You still need a complete cover (to stop jumpers).

4 What else do I need to consider, bearing in mind that I want it to
be
as multi-functional as possible, ie., I only want to own my large tank,
and
this one other small tank for the various contingencies that arise

Skip the gravel (bare bottom is easier to maintain and then there is less
to clean for contagions). Use a heater for stable temperatures. Keep it
away from foot traffic (very bad for new, sick and breeding fish). My
iso tanks are usually in basement corners. As a breeding tank, you want
better access to it (3 sides viewable). That's all I can think of
off-hand. hth

NetMax

Thanks folks

"rapdor" wrote in message
...
Any advice or comments on what I should buy to set myself up with an
all-purpose quarantine tank/breeding tank to compliment my 75 US gallon
freshwater community (all small fish) tropical tank would be much
appreciated.


I use a sponge filter in my Q-tank.
It is kept running in another aquarium until I need it, so it is already
seeded bio-bug wise. Should I need to clean it thoroughly enough to kill the
biological filter I'll just put it back into another tank afterwards to
recharge its bugs- so it's ready for the next time.

A glass cover, a light of sorts- nothing fancy or too bright- just enough to
examine the fish well. A heater to keep temps stable. I have artificial
plants tied to rocks so the fish have some sense of security. Depending on
what species is being quarantined, a hollow log might be appreciated.

I'd really recommend a bare bottom- I have this in my Q-tank (and my
Goldfish tanks as well) and it is incredibly easy to keep clean.

Easy cleaning is the name of the game in a Q-tank. Everything should be easy
to clean, easy to sterilize, and easy to break down/set up. Otherwise you'll
find an excuse not to do it.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/aquarium.htm