Temporary indoor QT setup

[Mmathis]

As usual, I got ahead of myself..... As a result, the tank I was keeping 3 new goldfish in wasn't big enough and I was almost having to do twice-daily water changes to keep the ammonia level down. So I moved the fish into a 50+ gal. tote that I placed inside the bath tub in our 2nd bathroom [it had to go inside the tub because the sides bulged out when filled with water and it needed the tub for support]. Still having ammonia issues.

Then I got an idea for a drip water exchange system -- crude, but it works. No ammonia [and I can even feed the fish a little now] and very little maintenance on my part. The 50 gal. tote has holes on each end -- sort of a built-in handle. Perfect as over-flow. I used a 30+ gal. tote as the water reservoir and placed it on a sturdy table above the level of the fish-tote. I drilled a small hole [the smallest drill bit in my set] on one side for the water to drip out through. But I couldn't move the reservoir-tote close enough to the tub [due to limitations of the table I used], so I got one of my black Wally-World oil pans [like the ones some use to grow water lilies], drilled a few holes in it [some holes higher up as overflow], and fixed it at a slight angle over the fish-tote. The 30+ gal. reservoir tote drips into the oil pan, then drips into the 50+ gal. fish-tote, with overflow going down the tub's drain.

To fill the reservoir-tote, I just put the Waterpik shower extension in that tote and turn on the water until it's full, adding de-chlorinator and salt as it fills. One tote-full of treated water takes about 12+ hours to completely empty into the fish-tote. I also have a 350 gal. HOB filter on the side of the fish-tote as well as air going though another plastic tote that I filled with bio-balls that I took from the pond.

Not something I'll do on a regular basis, but in this pinch, it's worked quite well, and I was comfortable leaving the fish alone with hubby over the w/end while I Boy Scout camped.

Remember that the lower tote [that holds the fish] is contained in the bath tub, though I didn't draw that in my picture.

 

[davepratt]

plus showering with your goldies is always a good time!!!

 

[Dave 54]

As usual, I got ahead of myself..... As a result, the tank I was keeping 3 new goldfish in wasn't big enough and I was almost having to do twice-daily water changes to keep the ammonia level down. So I moved the fish into a 50+ gal. tote that I placed inside the bath tub in our 2nd bathroom [it had to go inside the tub because the sides bulged out when filled with water and it needed the tub for support]. Still having ammonia issues.

Then I got an idea for a drip water exchange system -- crude, but it works. No ammonia [and I can even feed the fish a little now] and very little maintenance on my part. The 50 gal. tote has holes on each end -- sort of a built-in handle. Perfect as over-flow. I used a 30+ gal. tote as the water reservoir and placed it on a sturdy table above the level of the fish-tote. I drilled a small hole [the smallest drill bit in my set] on one side for the water to drip out through. But I couldn't move the reservoir-tote close enough to the tub [due to limitations of the table I used], so I got one of my black Wally-World oil pans [like the ones some use to grow water lilies], drilled a few holes in it [some holes higher up as overflow], and fixed it at a slight angle over the fish-tote. The 30+ gal. reservoir tote drips into the oil pan, then drips into the 50+ gal. fish-tote, with overflow going down the tub's drain.

To fill the reservoir-tote, I just put the Waterpik shower extension in that tote and turn on the water until it's full, adding de-chlorinator and salt as it fills. One tote-full of treated water takes about 12+ hours to completely empty into the fish-tote. I also have a 350 gal. HOB filter on the side of the fish-tote as well as air going though another plastic tote that I filled with bio-balls that I took from the pond.

Not something I'll do on a regular basis, but in this pinch, it's worked quite well, and I was comfortable leaving the fish alone with hubby over the w/end while I Boy Scout camped.

View attachment 69331

Remember that the lower tote [that holds the fish] is contained in the bath tub, though I didn't draw that in my picture.

Crude yes but you can make it work congratulations on your inventiveness
TurtleMommy may I suggest for any ammonia issues that you may come accross to use zeolite bags to keep it under control ?
You can also buy a NitratEX resin to control any Nitrate problems both are rechargable by the use of salt just leave the bags in salt water for 48 hrs or so and they are recharged so best buy two of each that way you can always have bags ready to replace those that are full
The NitratEX is made by a German company called JBL see website for details :-

http://www.jbl.de/en/aquatics-freshwater-products/detail/2427/jbl-nitratex

I hope this helps with your rudementary QT system , I know our suggestions will help you to keep your new fish hail and hearty whilst in their QT period whilst getting ready for life in your pond



Dave

 

[Mmathis]

Crude yes but you can make it work congratulations on your inventiveness
TurtleMommy may I suggest for any ammonia issues that you may come accross to use zeolite bags to keep it under control ?
You can also buy a NitratEX resin to control any Nitrate problems both are rechargable by the use of salt just leave the bags in salt water for 48 hrs or so and they are recharged so best buy two of each that way you can always have bags ready to replace those that are full
The NitratEX is made by a German company called JBL see website for details :-

http://www.jbl.de/en/aquatics-freshwater-products/detail/2427/jbl-nitratex

I hope this helps with your rudementary QT system , I know our suggestions will help you to keep your new fish hail and hearty whilst in their QT period whilst getting ready for life in your pond



Dave

Thanks! I do have zeolite [bagged and in the water flow]. Tomorrow starts their 3rd week in QT, and as long as our son is off at college, using the extra bathroom & tub isn't an issue, LOL!

I had to experiment with de-chlor products. We have chlorine and chloramines in our water. I was initially using a product that claims to eliminate both, but even freshly treated water was still testing high for ammonia. I finally found one that seems to work better, so I guess not all products are created equal.

And the fish [2 Wakin and 1 Watonai] seem happy & healthy! In the first days I had them, one of the Wakin wasn't looking too good. Besides developing areas that looked like it had missing scales [and occas. having clamped fins], it was displaying other symptoms that were similar to swim bladder problems. I know about feeding them shelled peas, but I wanted to go a little deeper into the behavior and causes of swim bladder problems and learned that some fish are "air hogs" when they gobble up food on the surface. As a result, they can ingest a lot of air that gets into their digestive system, which is apparently connected to their swim bladder. Well, let me tell you that THIS particular fish has the worst "table manners" I have ever seen! So, a suggested solution was to pre-soak their food to soften it. I did that for a few days, and soaked it in garlic juice [since garlic is supposed to be good for their immune system, etc.]. Well, after a couple of days, he was swimming normally and all of his other "issues" have almost disappeared! This was around the time I was really having the ammonia issues [probably in part due to the feedings] and converted to my drip-system.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

New fish are always fun! Have you posted photos of them yet?

 

[Dave 54]

Thanks! I do have zeolite [bagged and in the water flow]. Tomorrow starts their 3rd week in QT, and as long as our son is off at college, using the extra bathroom & tub isn't an issue, LOL!

I had to experiment with de-chlor products. We have chlorine and chloramines in our water. I was initially using a product that claims to eliminate both, but even freshly treated water was still testing high for ammonia. I finally found one that seems to work better, so I guess not all products are created equal.

And the fish [2 Wakin and 1 Watonai] seem happy & healthy! In the first days I had them, one of the Wakin wasn't looking too good. Besides developing areas that looked like it had missing scales [and occas. having clamped fins], it was displaying other symptoms that were similar to swim bladder problems. I know about feeding them shelled peas, but I wanted to go a little deeper into the behavior and causes of swim bladder problems and learned that some fish are "air hogs" when they gobble up food on the surface. As a result, they can ingest a lot of air that gets into their digestive system, which is apparently connected to their swim bladder. Well, let me tell you that THIS particular fish has the worst "table manners" I have ever seen! So, a suggested solution was to pre-soak their food to soften it. I did that for a few days, and soaked it in garlic juice [since garlic is supposed to be good for their immune system, etc.]. Well, after a couple of days, he was swimming normally and all of his other "issues" have almost disappeared! This was around the time I was really having the ammonia issues [probably in part due to the feedings] and converted to my drip-system.

I helped with a exessive slime on the upper part of a black moor the person who's fish it was at her whits end after repetedly treating it nothing was happening , he sent me a video of the fish in their tank and I thought odd it seems to be up at the surface quite a bit, she had put it down to a healthy appitite because when she was by the tank it was always there to greet her but the video shoed otherwise.
I suggested a number of days feeding the fish earthworms which have a duretic effect on the fish and then shelled peas , within a few days of this the upper area of the fish had de-slimed and the Moor was swimming around normally , later research by me came up tht the fish will produce this exessive slime if exposed to the suface it builds up to protect the fish but can also look like Costia which I believe was her initial thought so I can see where the mistake was made

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

New fish are always fun! Have you posted photos of them yet?

Not yet. Photographing fish hasn't been my strong point, LOL, but I will do my best.