how to keep a filter ready for emergency use in a hospital tank?

[john6]

I really need to set up a hospital tank as my tank is 6' and is expensive to treat with meds but how do i keep a filter ready to put in hospital tank when needed?

 

[ElleDee]

A lot of people don't cycle a filter and primarily rely on frequent water changes. Some meds will screw with your bacteria and/or require lots of water changes anyway.

I did cycle a filter for my quarantine tank when I was stocking a new tank, but that was because I knew it would have fish in it for a few months as I added different groups. I did need to treat for ich with one group, but most of that was just observation and no treatment. I keep new fish in quarantine for month because I don't want pathogens in my display tank.

I've never needed a hospital tank for my established fish, though I guess there are cases where it could happen, like an injured fish. I don't keep a filter ready just in case, no.

 

[John q]

Just keep a bit of extra media in the main tank filter and if you need to quickly set up a hospital tank you can transfer that media into the hospital tank filter.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Just keep a bit of extra media in the main tank filter

<"Good advice">, also if you have floating plants you can transfer them to the new tank and they will start improving water quality straight away. I actually mainly just swap over <"the big intake pre-filters now">. They are cheap to buy and I just make sure I always have a couple of spares to hand.

cheers Darrel

 

[Garuf]

I don’t, I just steal a handful of filter media from an already cycled filter and back that up with a bacteria in a bottle.

 

[john6]

Thanks guys

 

[tam]

You could run something like an aquael mini pat in the corner of your main tank too and just transfer the whole thing.