Hospital tank vice Quarintine Tank???

[Acro-Phobia]

I'm trying to get smart on treating fish (and corals) I want to introduce into my system. I need some help on what the differences are in a hospital tank and a quarintine tank. I'm not sure I understand which is for what and how each should be structured.

Can someone give me a simple, "this is how a hospital tank is set up and how is it used" i.e. is it sterile or set up as a living system, preloaded with certain meds, etc.

Second, same question about a quarintine tank. Are they the same, or are they used for different treatments.

 

[Puffer Queen]

A hospital tank is a tank that is set up bare bottom with no porous materials (ie live rock). It should have an established biological filter. No carbon or skimmer is needed as these will remove medications. A heater may be needed. A top/cover is strongly suggested. It is used to treat sick or injured fish or corals

The quarantine tank is the same set up but used for isolating new fish/coral/invert for 4 - 6 weeks. During this time the newly acquired can be observed for disease. Fish can learn to accept prepared food and learn to live in a glass box. A quarantine tank can become or really just a change of terms - a treatment or hospital tank if the newly acquired is found to have a disease.

Can one tank be used for either - yes as long as it is sterilized before each use.

 

[Acro-Phobia]

I actually have a little "apartment" 20 gal tank I put my new guys in when I first get them, but it is basically set up like a big tank. Some live rock, snails, crabs, etc. I assume that is my quarantine tank, but from what I'm learning, that can't be used to medicate because of all the critters in it. It also runs on a Fluval with carbon.

If I want to, or need to medicate a new arrival, with say copper, then I would want to have another tank (hospital tank) to medicate in. Once that's done, I break down the hospital tank, bleach it out and move the fish to the quarintine tank for further observation. I don't have a problem with room or number of tanks, but does that seem to be overkill or a good method to isolate or medicate in seperate tanks? I want to keep my little welcome tank as is.