How to set up a hospital tank

Vincent walks you through how to set up a hospital tank and explains why you shouldn’t use a bucket.

Checklist

A simple hospital tank set up

If you find that your Discus is ill, do not treat the illness while it is still in your main aquarium. Always separate your sick Discus from your main tank because the medications that you will use will remove all the beneficial bacteria from the tank.

You don’t need a whole separate expensive aquarium set up in order to quarantine your fish when they are sick. Instead, all you need is a 50L tub, an air stone, and a heater. This tub set up will make water changes quick and easy.

The tub

Using a tub is quick and inexpensive. A 50L tub is widely available from a variety of stores such as Bunnings or Kmart.

Fill the tub with approximately 40L of water. Many medications needed to treat the sick fish are measured as one tablet per 40L of water.

What water temperature should I use?

Set the water temperature to 33 to 34 degrees celsius. This will cause the metabolism of your fish to increase, allowing them to absorb the medication more easily.

How often should I change the water?

Perform a daily water change of 70-80%.

Don’t worry about the beneficial bacteria in the hospital tank because the medications will remove them.

How long should I treat my Discus?

Depending on the illness, the typical treatment should last 3-7 days.

Do not treat your Discus for more than 10 days because you will be exposing your Discus to high levels of medications which could compromise the Discus’ liver functions.

Can I just use a bucket?

Buckets lack the surface area needed to maintain high oxygen levels. Instead, use a tub or something similar which has a large surface area to ensure there is enough oxygen at the warmer temperature.

Disclaimer: This is a guide only. OZ Discus is not liable for any losses and holds no responsibility in the event of the death of the fish. Users of this guide are to use the information at their own discretion and accept all risks resulting from the use of this guide.