How to set up a temporary/hospital tank

[richardhmc]

I needed to have a tank to hold my fish and corals while I set up my new tank. I think I'll keep this tank after I'm done to use as a quarantine tank.

What is needed to successful run this kind of tank?
Right now, I have a heater, a HOB aquaclear with cotton floss, a light (metal halide) and a big piece of live rock from my established tank.

It is a 20 gallon tank, and I added around 15 gallons of freshly made saltwater and 5 gallons of old water from my established tank.

I also added some Special Blend assuming that it would help with the biological process.

Any suggestions or things I should do to run this tank well?

Thanks

 

[Alex]

If you are planning a hospital tank for purposes of adding chemicals then use pvc . The bacteria on the live rock may be harmed by any chemicals you add.

If its a quarantine tank then it sounds like a good set up. whats the wattage on the MH ?
You may want a bulb thats not so bright for newcomers.

 

[richardhmc]

Well right now I call it my temporary tank to hold my tank and corals while I transfer the equipment from my old tank to new tank.

The MH is a 150 watt I believe.

After my new tank is set up I'll make it into a quarantine. I want to start being more cautious of the corals and fish I put into my tank so it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be using chemicals.

 

[KathyC]

How long do you plan to use this tank to hold your fish/corals while you work on your upgrade?
What size is tour current tank & the one you are upgrading to?
And...is there an issue in your current tank that you are trying not to transfer to the new one?

AND - Special Blend - for as good as it is for helping with cyano - DOES add nitrates to a tank. So watch your levels. I would not use this product to try and bump up the bacterial count in a new tank set up. That is not what it is for.

 

[richardhmc]

How long do you plan to use this tank to hold your fish/corals while you work on your upgrade?
What size is tour current tank & the one you are upgrading to?
And...is there an issue in your current tank that you are trying not to transfer to the new one?

AND - Special Blend - for as good as it is for helping with cyano - DOES add nitrates to a tank. So watch your levels. I would not use this product to try and bump up the bacterial count in a new tank set up. That is not what it is for.

It will take me a few weeks to get this set up. I've already transferred the corals and fish and I have gotten a good response from all of them.

My current tank and the new tank is 50 gallon. Since these two are the same size, I have to tear down the plumbing and equipment of my old, and transfer it to my new tank. Which is why I can't just leave the corals and fish in the old tank.

How often should I be doing water changes to this tank? I've checked the water parameters yesterday and everything seemed fine. But I will check consistently.

 

[KathyC]

You should check the ammonia level daily and react immediately if you see it go past zero.

If the tank is bare bottom, I would vacuum it daily to reduce the chances for ammonia to increase.

 

[JonnyJ]

I personally saw the setup yesterday and the corals all seemed good. If you added the fish and corals you will really need to watch your levels and i would keep the feeding to a minimum and make sure like kathy mentioned that you syphon any uneaten food and debris

That hang on back filter seemed very small for the 20gal? what model was it? just wondering.

Make sure you have water on hand and keep up with the evaporation.

 

[Arati]

for sure an ammonia alert.