Hospital Tanks

ahill3780 · 09-17-2006, 05:08 AM

Hospital Tanks

Why they exist, how to set them up, and when to use them.

"What is a 'Hospital Tank' and why do I need one?"

A Hospital Tank (HT) is just what the name implies, a tank where sick fish can be treated without effecting other fish and invertebrates. The reason you should keep a HT is so that you can safely treat ill fish without potentially harming your main display tank, its other inhabitants, or leaving behind residual traces that can harm future livestock.

Many treatments and medications are dosed according to the volume of water present. In most cases your display tank is going to exceed 30 gallons in volume. If you keep a 10 gallon HT then that cuts the amount of meds you have to dose by 2/3. This saves in overall cost of medication, while making it easier to clean up after the treatment is complete.

"The medication I am using says that it is safe to use directly in the tank."

That may be so, but chances are that you have a lot of time and money invested in your main display aquarium. With cycling times in aquariums taking anywhere from 1-6 months, the cost of sand/rock or gravel/decor, and the cost of livestock/plants themselves, is a claim printed on the back of a package that was written by someone in a marketing department aiming to sell their product over their competitors' worth taking that risk? I think not.

It is always safer to treat illness in a separate tank that can easily be cleaned and refilled for the next use than in your main display.

"What all is involved with setting up a Hospital Tank?"

A hospital tank is very cheap to set up and operate as opposed to display aquariums. They require only the basics of any aquarium. Lighting, heat, and water movement are the essentials, along with a few hiding places to reduce stress.

Here are some of the basic equipment needed to furnish one:

A tank of 10-20 gallons will be sufficient in most cases.
A 50-100 watt heater depending on tank capacity.
A HOB or Canister filter, or simply a powerhead to create current.
A light fixture.
An airstone and air pump.
Some simple plastic decor, or cut sections of PVC for hiding places.

Here are a few things you do not need to include:

Substrate.
Biological filters.
Live rock.
Plants.

And a couple of things that are not required, but can be beneficial:

Protein Skimmer.
UV Sterilizer.

"Can I use some of the equipment from my display tank in the HT?"

It is not a good idea to use your regular equipment in the HT. The purpose of using the separate tank is to eliminate the possibility of contaminating the display tank. It is too difficult to completely sanitize all surfaces of equipment after it has been exposed to medication and the residues will carry back over into the main display.

It is best to dedicate equipment for hospital use only, that way you eliminate the risk.

"Do I have to supply the high lighting for my HT that some other tanks require?"

Plants, Corals, and Invertebrates do not fare well under medication and should not be subjected to them. Problems with these specimens are usually due to poor water conditions and can be corrected without the use of medications or treatments.

Fish are the only livestock that can be effectively treated in these tanks, and since they are mostly indifferent to light levels you can get by with using the single strip fluorescent lighting that typically come with tank kits.

"Does a HT have to be cycled the way display aquariums do?"

Not necessarily. The best method is to use water from the main display tank to fill the tank with. Alternatively you could mix tank water with fresh new water at a 50/50 ratio.

If you are using 100% new water then just make sure that the parameters are closely in line with the display tank. (pH, ammonia, nitrite, Alk, GH, KH, etc.)

Some treatments can kill the beneficial bacteria in the tank rendering NBF useless making it necessary to rely on mechanical means to remove waste before it breaks down and pollutes the water. Alternatively you can make use of bottled bacterial cultures (eg. Cycle) when needed to try and neutralize rising ammonia levels. I am skeptical about this method but some have claimed it works, IMO it all depends on the treatment being used.

ahill3780 · 09-17-2006, 05:09 AM

"What is the procedure for hospitalizing fish?"

Its fairly straightforward. Set the tank up and get it running before placing the fish in. Make sure the tank parameters match the display tank as closely as possible. Using water from the main display really helps out a lot with this.

Once the tank is ready, heated, and the filtration is running you can net the specimen out of the display tank and place him into the HT. If the levels of the HT are not exact with the display then a little basic acclimation will be necessary.

Begin treatment by following the recommendations of the manufacturer of whatever medication you are using. Continue the treatment so long as the illness remains, or as long as the instructions dictate as a minimum.

Once the illness appears to be cured, begin changing the water out in the HT with fresh water - new or from your display. Change out about 35% every 2 days for a week to make sure that you have removed all of the medicated water.

Observe the fish for an additional week in confinement to see if the illness is going to return and require a second treatment. You don't want to put him through the stress of being captured and placed into the display, only to be pulled out again and be placed back into the HT.

If the illness does not return in this time then it is safe to reintroduce him back into the display tank. Remember to float and acclimate them back into the tank as if they were new arrivals.

Turn off all the equipment and tear down the HT and give it a good scrub down. Set it back up again afterwards so that it is ready for the next time it is needed. Leave it empty if you wish.

"Are there differences in setting up HTs for freshwater versus saltwater tanks?"

Only the differences associated with the environments themselves (meaning tank parameters and the methods for testing them), all of the equipment and procedures are the same for both.

"When is it safe to move the treated fish back into the display tank?"

When they are cured and the infection has not returned for a period of 1 1/2 - 2 weeks after the treated water has been replaced with fresh water (fresh meaning untreated).

"How many fish can I treat at once in the HT?"

As many as the confines of the chosen aquarium can accommodate. You do not want to overcrowd the tank as stress will only cause further harm to the fish, and the extra waste production will make things more difficult to deal with.

"How often do you feed a fish while hospitalized?"

I would suggest feeding them as often as you normally do, just reduce the amount of food offered. You don't want to introduce too much in the way of waste into the HT since it does not have the benefit of proper biological filtration.

"What is the best way to avoid needing a hospital tank?"

The best way to avoid needing a hospital tank is to avoid introducing disease into your display aquarium. This includes:

Choosing healthy livestock wherever possible.
Using proper Quarantine procedures. (See here for more info: Click Here)
Maintaining good maintenance practices and good water quality,
Providing a healthy diet fit for each individual in the tank.

In Closing

Always be wary of resorting to medications when problems appear in your tank. Some ailments will require medication in order to be cured, but as stated earlier on in this article, often the underlying condition causing the problem is poor water quality. Always check your tanks parameters and do some heavy 25-50% water changes before determining treatments to be necessary.