Quaraneine tank

[Sharon Goode]

Need personal experience info on sitting up tank for Koi. There are many sites and all of them differ. I have 55 gallon water troughs Rubber Maid that i have for my horses. These are very sturdy and some have heating capabilities. My hope would be to use one of these minus the heater. Adding water from my pond and aeration while keeping a close eye on my water quality, I could quarantine new fish for 3 or 4 weeks. Also, I would hope to leave this outside near my pond so fish would acclimate to colder weather coming. In Virginia we are at the beginning of fall season and we are in zone 7. Covering to keep predators and leaves out would also be necessary! What else do I need to do or am I on the right track?

 

[JohnHuff]

55g seems pretty small. How big/how many fish do you plan on quarantining at the same time? And will the water freeze? Even though it's a quarantine pond, you will need to have filtration in it. If you plan to aerate, you can make a simple moving bed filter. Youtube moving bed filter for a simple one. I think people keep feeder fish in their QT pond just to keep the filtration going.

 

[Sharon Goode]

Sir John

Just 1 8 to 11 inch koi. What do you think will it work for 3 or 4 weeks to make sure he is well?

 

[JohnHuff]

Mrs. Goode,
I think there are 2 issues here:
1) I have a 55g tank at home and both me and my daughter think that a 55g tank is too small to be comfortable for a 11 inch koi. 8 inches, maybe. But 11 inches, too small.
2) 3-4 weeks is quite a long interval and we also think that the koi would not be happy being alone in a small tank for 3-4 weeks.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sir John

 

[capewind]

I cant visualize a 8-11" koi in 55 gallons of water either. Among other things, we also have a 55 gallon fish tank and a 45 gallon rubber tub (from the horses LOL) and I just cant picture a fish of that size in either. It could work out okay, but ... for a single fish or two (or fry), we have plastic 60" x 12" kiddie pools ... FULL they hold 100 gallons. We put a handful of sheet rock screws into the top, and can then securely hook a net onto it to prevent jumpers ... Whether you use a 55 gallon tub, or a 100 gallon kiddie pool, setting it up near the pond really isnt doing the fish any favors in the regards that such a small body of water is not going to keep a stable temp well this time of year. You would be better off keeping the fish inside (the house, basement, garage) and then acclimate slowly to the outside pond ... I would also use some type of mechanical filter. We have a couple of different aquarium filters that we use, but if just a few fish, I use this a Tetra Whisper in tank filter and just clean it every few days. Their biggest unit is only $30, and even on sale now for $24 ... http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753028&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No In a kiddie pool, I just set it on the floor in the middle of a pool. In a stock tank, you can hang it ... ALSO ... I know there is a lot of mixed info on QTing out there. We used to do 6-8 weeks, but increased it to 8-12 weeks.

 

[Sharon Goode]

Thanks everyone! It is probably too late in the season to try to quarantine now, so even though I have a lead on an awesome fish, I guess it would be wise to wait till spring. Putting the tank in the area of my barn that is climate controlled may not be too wise. That is where the barn cats winter. They have a cat door and go in and out to suite themselves. Even covered with a net i WOULD NOT TRUST THEM! Thanks again

 

[Dave 54]

I cant visualize a 8-11" koi in 55 gallons of water either. Among other things, we also have a 55 gallon fish tank and a 45 gallon rubber tub (from the horses LOL) and I just cant picture a fish of that size in either. It could work out okay, but ... for a single fish or two (or fry), we have plastic 60" x 12" kiddie pools ... FULL they hold 100 gallons. We put a handful of sheet rock screws into the top, and can then securely hook a net onto it to prevent jumpers ... Whether you use a 55 gallon tub, or a 100 gallon kiddie pool, setting it up near the pond really isnt doing the fish any favors in the regards that such a small body of water is not going to keep a stable temp well this time of year. You would be better off keeping the fish inside (the house, basement, garage) and then acclimate slowly to the outside pond ... I would also use some type of mechanical filter. We have a couple of different aquarium filters that we use, but if just a few fish, I use this a Tetra Whisper in tank filter and just clean it every few days. Their biggest unit is only $30, and even on sale now for $24 ... http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753028&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No In a kiddie pool, I just set it on the floor in the middle of a pool. In a stock tank, you can hang it ... ALSO ... I know there is a lot of mixed info on QTing out there. We used to do 6-8 weeks, but increased it to 8-12 weeks.

I have to agree with both John and Capewind 55 gallon is rather small our own QT setup is roughly 550 gallons imperial which is a specialist built QT tank with filter U/V-C venturie and bottom drain it is made of fibre glass and has a submeresible pump we also have a koi airpump with 24 tap manifold to connect airpipes and airstones to .

rgrds

Dave

 

[capewind]

Thanks everyone! It is probably too late in the season to try to quarantine now, so even though I have a lead on an awesome fish, I guess it would be wise to wait till spring. Putting the tank in the area of my barn that is climate controlled may not be too wise. That is where the barn cats winter. They have a cat door and go in and out to suite themselves. Even covered with a net i WOULD NOT TRUST THEM! Thanks again

Hey, since it is only a LEAD, maybe you should follow up on it ... a lot of times people cant tell the true size of a fish til it is out of the water, or their estimates are really bad ... if it is SMALLER, your 55 gallon stock tank may be okay size wise ...

 

[dieselplower]

even though I have a lead on an awesome fish, I guess it would be wise to wait till spring.

I was going to say this but did not want to be a debbie downer. Good decision. Other awesome fish will come along!

 

[capewind]

I have to agree with both John and Capewind 55 gallon is rather small our own QT setup is roughly 550 gallons imperial which is a specialist built QT tank with filter U/V-C venturie and bottom drain it is made of fibre glass and has a submeresible pump we also have a koi airpump with 24 tap manifold to connect airpipes and airstones to .

rgrds

Dave

Unfortunately Dave, most dont have such large QT areas. I think it is fantastic someone was thinking to QT in the first place. If QT set up is small, one just has to get new fish while they are small ... they grow;-)

 

[koiguy1969]

If you have a TSC (tractor supply compoany) nearby..you can pick up a 110 gal stocktank for $70.00.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tuff-stuff-products-heavy-duty-oval-tank-110-gal


every year i go to walmarts and buy a 250 gal kiddie pool for about $12.00 use it as a fry pond, and throw it out when i'm done with it.

 

[Dave 54]

Mark buy the stocktank it'd work out cheeper in the end lol

rgrds

Dave

 

[koiguy1969]

Dave, i have a stock tank...110gals isnt big enough for the fry numbers. 5000+. the pools are 12 dollars.. cheap! used to reuse them but for 12 bucks...throw 'em away. i have a frame i built that slides right in them to make them rigid. the 8 foot round 360 gal pool is only 17 dollars.

 

[Dave 54]

Dave, i have a stock tank...110gals isnt big enough for the fry numbers. 5000+. the pools are 12 dollars.. cheap! used to reuse them but for 12 bucks...throw 'em away. i have a frame i built that slides right in them to make them rigid. the 8 foot round 360 gal pool is only 17 dollars.

Yes I can see the attraction

rgrds

Dave

 

[Sharon Goode]

When you speak of using pools you must mean they are inside and not out where the cats, birds and other critters can enjoy a meal. My pond is the most beautiful part of my day and already had a Blue Heron clean me out the first year. Call me crazy, but you would have thought I had lost family. On year three and this is my first year with Koi, still trying to learn enough to keep them healthy and happy.