Quarantine Supplies

HI everyone,
Just wondering how you all go about keeping your quarantine tank...quarantined. Do you use a whole separate set of water changing equipment for that tank from your other tanks? Is there an easy way to clean the equipment so it can be shared with the other tanks?

Appreciate any feedback on the question above! Going to include what I've been doing so far below.

Currently, I do the weekly water change on my main tank first. Scrub the sides of the tank with a scrubber or pull any hair algae if I see it. Gravel vacuum with my one gravel vac. The siphoned water goes into a rolling bucket. Rinse the filter parts in that bucket of old tank water. Refill using separate jugs that only see dechlorinated tap water (no tank water). Then I do the same process in my quarantine tank using the same equipment. After both tanks are done, I rinse the bucket and gravel vac/siphon with tap water. Sometimes I set them out in the sun to dry and further disinfect, but in the current heat my gravel vac started to melt a little so I don't always do that.
Thanks for your help!

 

Are their fish in the QT tank?

 

Are their fish in the QT tank?

Yes yes.

 

I used different "equipment"... My QT is just ten gallons and bare bottom, and honestly the only equipment I have is the tank, a few fake plants, a pickle jar, and a turkey baster.
The pickle jar is glass and one gallon, so I just scoop out some water with that, and use the turkey baster to get crud off the ground.

 

I used different "equipment"... My QT is just ten gallons and bare bottom, and honestly the only equipment I have is the tank, a few fake plants, a pickle jar, and a turkey baster.
The pickle jar is glass and one gallon, so I just scoop out some water with that, and use the turkey baster to get crud off the ground.

That's really smart. Ordering a turkey baster now. Thanks!

 

I used to be really strict with quarantine and keeping everything separate, but then I'd be a bit more careless with what I was buying, thinking I'd be treating it anyway, which didn't always turn out so good, as sometimes I'd think something is treated and has passed quarantine, only for the problem to return -in my main tank.. I'm not so strict with it anymore, and I've actually had very few (if any) problems since, but typically the stricter you are with it, the better (unless you're like me lol).

Make sure you first study the new fish / tank really carefully (and the other tanks in the shop if the water is in a shared system).
I have 2 main tanks, a first one and a second one, but the second one is really just a second, more so than a quarantine tank. New fish go in the second tank, and if I want to move them into the first, they'll have to have been in the second tank a long time and proved they're healthy (although I also keep proven healthy fish in there, it's not just for new ones -but they're 'secondary fish', not as nice as my main ones, just in case something did ever go wrong with the tank).

I do my water changes etc in the first tank, then the second, then rinse the equipment in hot water, and everything has dried completely before the next water change.

 

Yes! Knowing fish symptoms of illness and thoroughly expecting does help. Some things you just can't see until the stress of transitioning to a new tank affects their immune system and it really hits them. I don't have your luck, so I'm cracking down on my quarantine haha

 

Yes! Knowing fish symptoms of illness and thoroughly expecting does help. Some things you just can't see until the stress of transitioning to a new tank affects their immune system and it really hits them. I don't have your luck, so I'm cracking down on my quarantine haha

It's definitely best too, but if like me you start to get lazy with inspecting new fish or bringing sick fish home to treat (because after all you HAVE a quarantine tank), then it can work against you. But that's just me lol.