eaglescout316

I have a confession to make...i've been a bad boy. My attempt at a quarantine tank was pretty pathetic. I was at PetCo one day back when i first started the hobby and knew i'd need a quarantine tank, and found a 2 gallon cheap plastic aquarium with an undergravel filter and bought a heater to go with it.

There's several problems with this tank. First, it came with gravel but not enough to cover the bottom at all. Second, the lid design is nothing short of terrible (it's complete jumper-proof, but requires i disassemble the lid to net fish, and the filter causes water to try and bubble out). The lighting is a tiny incandescent bulb. Last but not least, it's hexogonal. It was under $30 so if nothing else i bought a really expensive airpump haha.

I'm about to go on vacation for two and a half weeks, and between christmas money and a paycheck, i'm hoping to have about $100 of spending money that i could put towards my hobby. Worst case scenario, all my fish die (see other thread) and i have to spend it on new fish. Best case scenario, that's $100 max i could spend on a worthy quarantine tank.

Here's what i'm looking for, let me know if you have any suggestions along these lines that i could look into:

• Detachable filter so i don't lose the cycle.
• Footprint such that i don't need to buy a stand (i could put it on my kitchen table)
• Big enough for a pair of 4" fish or one 5" to be quarantined at a time (to quote the Bucket List, it's a hospital, not a health spa)
• Lid allows easy cleaning and netting

I'm buying a backup heater for the 29-gallon tank over break, so i'll have one for the quarantine tank. The filter can be bought separate, just as long as it works with the q-tank and main tank.

Thanks folks!

sirdarksol

Get a rubbermaid container (they make them in 10-20g sizes, I think)
Whisper HOB filters can be found for pretty cheap (if you're ordering from DFS anytime soon, you can try to get your order right up to the first shipping hike cutoff, which is around $70, I think. Shipping will be $10, and you'll probably save $20-30 on stuff, especially if you get substrate like EcoComplete, meaning you save $10-20 over buying from the pet store).
Get a decent heater for the thing.
You're good to go.

pinkfloydpuffer

For my QT I use an aquarium tote, sometimes called a critter keeper, and use a whisper HOB filter.

KyWildFish

I use a small plastic tank like you mentioned, but its modified. I have a whisper filter with a small but effecient heater. It gets the same testing and respect as my other tanks so it stays fine. I keep a couple danios in it so it stays cycled and they can be moved to the community if I need to use it.

dancerhas

Quick and dirty quarantine setup

There's ours.

Ingredients:
3-4 gallon Sterilite container from Dollar General
Top-Fin Power Filter 10
50-watt heater
Elite airstone
cheapo air pump I had lying around
plastic daisy cup with a rock in it for a hiding place

The heater and filter were actually from a Top Fin 10 gallon kit (on sale right now for $45) from Petsmart. We didn't have room to set up the whole 10G so we just used the container. That kit is a great deal for a basic quarantine tank.

Lucy

I use a critter keeper, small heater and a whisper internal filter.

MrsM3197

My QT is a pathetic Frankenstein mess...but it works! I have a 10 gal with a Top-Fin 20 Filter, that I got a garage sale, crammed with as much filter floss as I can fit into it (never know when a mean case of MTS might strike). Cheap air pump, heater and gravel from another garage sale, air stone from walmart and a broken ceramic pot from my garden. Total cost: $4.50
Piece of mind: Priceless
Add to this the colony of shrimp I have living in it to keep it cycled, $6.50...but I have filter floss to set up another tank any time I want to

cerianthus

ygpm

Sophism

Petsmart currently has a sale on a 10Gallon kit which includes basic filter, heater, hood/light etc for 45 bucks.

Lucy

pinkfloydpuffer

Lol
seconded

KyWildFish

you got pink monkeys?

pinkfloydpuffer

Ah, of course. That is obviously what it is. How could I not have seen that?

eaglescout316

you've got private message

pinkfloydpuffer

OHHHHHHH, lol! Haha, I never get these clever little abbreviations... How about "pm sent"? I know what that means. Apparently I am behind the times, lol.

fishlover78

I am getting used to abbreviations! well back on task, I would suggest just getting the top fin 10 gal. kit, its on sale right now too for 45 bucks is that too much dough to spend on a QT tank? also, you can always keep it stocked with danios or something to keep the cycle going, hope you can get a QT tank, its the best thing ever. when you only need to treat one fish, #1 you don't want to crash the cycle in the display tank with meds, #2 If fish aren't sick then why treat them? and lastly, its just best to keep meds out of their real home. -fishlover78

eaglescout316

In all honesty, i wouldn't have known either, except i had a private message from them.

pinkfloydpuffer

Lol. Well I'm glad that's been cleared up.