Quarantine Tank Water Changes

[Cod Fish]

I'm going to set up a separate 20 gallon bare bottom quarantine tank for possible sick fish/new arrivals. It will be basic with some pots for hiding, a heater and a HOB filter. Once it has cycled, if It is sitting idle with no fish, do I have to do water changes?

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'm going to set up a separate 20 gallon bare bottom quarantine tank for possible sick fish/new arrivals. It will be basic with some pots for hiding, a heater and a HOB filter. Once it has cycled, if It is sitting idle with no fish, do I have to do water changes?

Not usually , but it won't keep a healthy cycle unless you ghost feed. When you do a WC in your main tank, the "old" water is fine for QT---assuminig you are diligent about WCs in your main tank. If you keep an extra sponge (no carbon) for your HOB filter in the flow of your DT; it will be ready with a good bacteria load when you need it. Toss the sponge after use (in the QT) and always keep one in the main system. Then you don't need to do QT WCs or worry about the capacity of your filter; which in an empty QT, won't be much.