keeping a qt with one fish that lives in it...

[peckhead]

im setting up a qt tank tomorrow because i have already had an experience with ick and i had to do hypo on my dt. im never going to deal with ick again in a dt, though i didnt loose any fish from the ick and all are healthy
in the qt tank i set up that i plan to be a permanant set up, can i keep one fish that will always stay in it? even though this fish would go through hypos while i stock my new 90g reef that doesnt have any fish in it yet? i plan to do hypo on every fish i get rather then just watching the fish for a few weeks to should a sign of ick..
i would jsut have a 20g with a hang on back filter and some 'fresh water' decor.

 

[pondy]

It might be just me, but i dont think that it is a good idea to keep one fish in a qt tank and have is go through all those treatments. Just what I think though we will see what other say

 

[oceanlover]

My quarantine tank has two green chromis in it all the time. However, I don't automatically do a hypo treatment to new fish. When I put in a new fish, I watch it for three weeks and if nothing shows up, the new fish is transferred to the big salt water aquarium.

 

[1journeyman]

Not really a good idea, imho.
Keeping a QT tank fallow allows diseases to die out. Keeping a fish in it all the time means you might be allowing that fish to be a host.

 

[david24]

I feel it's a ok to keep one small hearty fish in a QT tank for two reasons. The first reason is to keep the cycle going, and the second reason is I just can't stand a empty tank sitting around.
If Hypo is all you want the QT tank for and you do Hypo the rightway I see no reason why this would hurt the fish. Now if you medicate the tank with copper or other meds then that WOULD be a problem.
Pretty much EVERYONE disagrees with me on this topic.

 

[rbaldino]

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. For one thing, it's a pretty raw deal for the one fish that gets stuck in there. For another, it could cause complications when you QT a new purchase or have to hospitalize a sick fish. The one fish that's in there all the time might not get along with whatever you add. (Not always a problem in a big DT, but aggression could be amplified in a small QT.) And if you have to treat a sick or ailing fish, the full-time resident could get sick itself or decide to take advantage of the weaker fish. Honestly, I don't really see why you'd want to go that route.

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by peckhead
in the qt tank i set up that i plan to be a permanant set up, can i keep one fish that will always stay in it? even though this fish would go through hypos
that doesn't sound very responsible does it? No offense.

 

[pondy]

Im no tree hugger or anything but, I look at it this way, would you want to be kept with a bunch of people that are always getting treated with medications? Do you like to feel sick? My fish are my friends and i dont think its a good Idea, but not every one agrees with me all the time. Even a little chromis deserves the best.

 

[jktenpro]

I have had a quaranteen set up for 2 years and I just ghost feed the tank to keep the biological filtration going. I do agree with a permenant fish being a host for parasites in between quaranteening other fish. Keeping the tank running fallow I think is the way to go.

 

[peckhead]

aztec- why does it sound irresponsible? it was a simple question, i never said i was going to do it.
pondy- who said anything about medications? from what i have read hypo isnt stressful for fish if done the right way. i did hypo on 4 fish and a eel and i didnt notice any difference in the fish beside the fact that the ick went away.
i have never used copper and i dont really plan on using copper.
i know people do hypo on fish they get no matter what. it will cut the qt process short but still be effective. i would hate to have a fish in qt for 3 weeks, get ick in the 3rd then hypo for another 4 weeks....
once fish im thinking about putting in my qt is a green spotted puffer. its a brackish fish but has been in a saltwater fish tank for a year now. he can deal with
low salinity and high with out a problem...what do you think?

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by peckhead
pondy- who said anything about medications? from what i have read hypo isnt stressful for fish if done the right way. i did hypo on 4 fish and a eel and i didnt notice any difference in the fish beside the fact that the ick went away.
You're assuming that you're only ever going to have to treat for ich. There are a lot of different diseases fish can catch, some of which will require medications for treatment. You're also assuming that when a fish gets sick it'll still be pretty much normal and active. If you have to put a fish in there that's in really bad shape the chromis may decide to just finish it off.

 

[ophiura]

The comment that the fish will always allow a parasite to exist in the QT is spot on. Why would you risk that?
You are allowing a host to stay in the tank all the time, basically like not following good hygiene in a hospital. It allows diseases to hang around in the tank.
You do not need a fish in that tank to keep the cycle going.
In addition, what is the attraction of keeping one fish in that tank that is basically devoid of structure? A QT would have PVC and no substrate, completely artificial. The type of fish that would be suitable and hardy enough would be a damsel - which would become a bully to new stressed fish. Asking for trouble, IMO. Totally not a good idea.
If you don't have the patience to stand an empty tank...it is not the right hobby for you, IMHO.

 

[peckhead]

i dont really know why i would have to have patience to stand an empty tank and im not sure what your trying to say by that.
i was going to keep my qt tank set up at all times, rather then setting up up every time i wanted a new fish or had a sick fish. that is why i was asking if it is ok, instead of just doing it.
i know that once the tank is cycled i dont need a fish in it and i know there are ways to set up a tank so it doesnt have to cycle using sponges from the dt and i guess thats what ill do.
most of you have been a help. thank you

 

[petjunkie]

From what I've read it's actually best to take down the qt after each fish and clean it out well, especially if you treated the qt fish for anything.

 

[ophiura]

I don't know why I bother to be on this board because obviously I am not here to try and help people. Whatever, can't win them all

My implication is a general one, not at you specifically. But IN MY OPINION if you can not stand an empty hospital tank, it may not be the right hobby to be in because, yes ****IN MY OPINION**** if you are not patient enough to have an empty tank, it may not be the right hobby to be in (a hobby that requires patience). It is fine for you to take the advise of people who say what you want, cool deal, no worries at all as I won't take it personally if you don't agree....but I am equally entitled as others to express my opinion. I wouldn't take it personally.

However, I guess I would hope that it would cause you to think WHY you need a fish in there and be honest about it.
You should keep you QT set up at all times if you are in a stocking phase, IMO, to always be ready and you can easily throw a bit of food in there regularly to keep the cycle going without keeping a fish in there. It is incorrect to think you must have a fish in their to keep the biological filter going, which you appear to be aware of.
Best of luck either way, but I do hope you will consider some of the other points (eg keeping a host for disease, and keeping a possibly aggressive fish in a tank for new stressed fish)

 

[peckhead]

i didnt say i dont agree with you. i said i dont no what made you think that i cant have a empty tank and if i didnt want a empty tank(who does?!?!?) then why would that say that im in the wrong hobby?
i have had a 90g with 1 clown fish in it for about 3 months now, so i pretty much consider that empty and the fact that i only have 1 fish in a 90g for so long says that i am indeed very patient.
i used to have more fish but i have switched to reef and put the other fish(not reef safe) in a different tank(fowlr).
the reason i made this thread is because i have never heard anyone talk about keeping a fish in a qt tank. i dont want to hear what ever is 'cool' i want to hear what is right, and i want to know why its right. thats what this board is for right?
i have one more question though. if i have 1 fish in the qt, and it has gone through hypo and doesnt appear to have anything else, can it still be a host? even though the tank has been treated and everything?
the reason i thought it would be ok to keep a fish in qt was because i didnt think that it could be a host after it has been treated...
im not going to do this because everyone said no, but im just trying to understand why.
thanks for the reply

 

[1journeyman]

One of the other Mods can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe Hypo kills all diseases or parasites.
Going on that assumption, my original premise that a permanent fish in your QT will end up being a "Typhoid Mary" seems to be the biggest reason not to do this.
Ghost feed a qt tank and you're fine.

 

[rabbit_72]

I have to agree with Ophiura. She is much more knowledgeable about these things. Since I have been on the boards, which has only been a few weeks, she is dead on. My hubby made our QT pretty so it doesn't look boring. At the moment it is housing my 2 clown fish cuz my tank is on the fritz. Other than that, no one would even be in there. But IMO, it is best to take the advice of the experts here. I think they have lots of great reasons to not have a fish in the QT at all times. Having a fish in there at all times no longer makes it a QT. IMO.

 

[kilhullen]

OK, I am still learning, so I have a question indirectly related to this thread -
Ghost feeding?
Are you saying put food in for the bacteria to have soemthing to eat? (as though you were trying to cycle the tank).

 

[azaintcold]

Ghost feeding is to keep the biological filtration still up and running. Without anything at all in a hospital tank, it will recycle when you add another fish unless you keep the bacteria alive.