Hospital Tanks

[handyman]

Recently setup a hospital tank. It is pretty much an empty tank with a section of PVC pipe. After looking at if for a few days, I decide that it was way to plan. Must be the reef guy inside of me. Anybody have any suggestions on how to make the tank more pleasing with out looking the effectiveness of a hospital tank.

 

[beth]

You can always put in fake reef sculptures that are really pretty darn good looking and are commonly used in commercial aquariums. You can also put in dead coral heads. I'd leave any substrate out of it, though.

 

[pufferlover]

Been there done that. It is hard to look at a mostly empty tank and not want to do something with it. But a HT needs to be plain with either the PVC or A clay flower pot on its side for cover for the fish. As Beth said you could do some fake coral pieces but since everything needs to be cleaned after you treat a fish in it you just make more work for yourself. Believe me a sick fish isn't all that fussy on accomdations.

 

[beth]

Puffer, you think clay pots are ok for salt?? Especially a hospital?

 

[pufferlover]

Well according to my ---- Mills Marine Aquaruim book page 56 under basic health care he says (this is what I recalled when posting) " The quarantine tank can also double as a treatment tank. Apart from a few flowerpots and slates against the walls to provide refuge it will need little in the way of decorations. Besides heating 2 other life-support systems are necessary; aeration, and a suitable but simple filtration medium, since activated carbon and other chemical active media may remove medications from the water". I have a couple of clay pots that I have used for larger fish in recovery and have never had a problem that I can say was from them. There is even a picture on that page of a tank with 2 flowerpots in it.

 

[handyman]

Beth and Puffer -- thanks for all the great advice....