The Mac-Daddy of Quarantine / Hospital Tanks
For all
you serious koi-keepers out there who have “graduated” to more expensive fish a
quarantine tank is not a suggestion, it’s a necessity. You certainly do not
want to risk the lives of your beautiful “investments” by introducing parasites,
bacterial infections and/or deadly viruses. There will come a time when you
will need a hospital tank where you can keep your koi (with perhaps an ulcer) at
arms length during treatment. That’s why it makes “cents” and “sense” to
construct a permanent quarantine hospital tank.
We’ve
already written an article titled “How to Set Up a Quarantine / Hospital Tank
for Koi and Goldfish” that goes into the basic necessities of an efficient
quarantine tank. Nothing is to say that a tank like the ones we described in
that article won’t work for you. The Mac-Daddy of Tanks, however, is geared
toward the koi-keeper who needs a permanent, biologically sound, low-maintenance
quarantine or hospital tank. We’re here to show you how to set one up using
advanced technology pond equipment.
First
of all, you need a tank. I would not suggest anything smaller than 300 gallons
and probably not over 500 gallons. You want it big enough for the largest koi
to easily maneuver around in but small enough so that he can be netted without
chasing the koi and stressing him out. We can suggest a 300-gallon watering
trough (available at almost any feed store) but that’s probably not the best way
to go.
If at
all possible, locate your tank inside. In winter this will give you an extreme
advantage! We’ve seen successful quarantine tanks built inside the garage and
one extremely functional quarantine “center” in the corner of the basement. If
the tank has to be outside it should be in a sheltered area, out of the sun. On
a porch with a roof is another wonderful location.
You
want your tank to be at elbow height. This gives you ergonomically the best
position to handle your koi. The more secure you are when handling those
slippery little fellows the less likely there is a chance of him slipping out of
your hands and getting injured. A shelf of some kind is helpful too.
The
walls of your tank can be made of railroad ties or cement blocks. Railroad ties
are cool because you can staple or nail rubber lining to it. A rectangle
instead of a square is often a better choice as far as primary shape is
concerned but we don’t want any right angles in the finished product because
rounded edges create better flow, less dead area and help prevent fish from
bumping around and bruising their lips. To round the edges of your rectangle you
can use just about any kind of material that flexes (such as carpeting or
plastic or metal sheeting) or create a curve using cement.
The
floor of your tank must be able to support a bottom drain. This is easy if you
are building your tank outside because you can dig down a foot to place it and
dig a trench for plumbing. If building your tank on a slab or floor you will
need to create a false bottom. This can be done with cement blocks and
plywood. Place cement blocks so that a foot wide space leading to the area
where your pump and filtration go is created. This gives you room to run 2” PVC
from the drain to the pump. Then cover the whole area with plywood to create
the raised floor.
Use a
2” bottom drain with the anti-vortex cover. Into the plywood cut a hole to
accommodate the size of the base of the drain. The drain should be located in
the corner that is furthest away from where your water will return to the tank.
2” PVC hard pipe is glued onto the drain. It will run under the plywood floor
and out the side of the tank where the equipment is located.
Just
before the pump install either a 2” ball or knife (gate) valve. This will allow
you to turn off the water flowing to the pump when you need to empty the leaf
basket.
The
external pump we like for this set up is the 2-speed ??????????????. It runs
very efficiently on low during normal running while it filters the water then
gives you the pressure needed to backwash the filter on high. Be sure to
install a ??? union (quick disconnect) on both ends of the pump so it can be
disconnected from the system without cutting the pipe.
Next in
line comes the filter. You need a biological filter that offers backwashing
abilities and a way to bypass the filter media when treating for bacterial
disease. Bacterial treatments kill all bacteria present – whether it’s good or
bad – so we definitely want to protect our delicate nitrifying bacteria by not
running a bacterial treatment through it.
If your
tank is located inside the demands on the filter for its ability to remove
debris is less so the SuperPro 1000 is perfect for the job. It will give your
tank excellent biological filtration with backwashing abilities and a by-pass
option on the valve. If the tank is located outside I would suggest the ProBead
.65 because it does a better job of taking out the trash while still providing
excellent biological filtering, backwashing and by-pass capabilities.
Both
these filters come equipped with 1 ½” unions on all three ports. If you prefer
to run flexible hose from the filter to wherever you want your wastewater to go
we can certainly substitute a flex hose fitting instead of the quick disconnect.
Quarantine tanks are not immune to green water algae. If you can’t see the koi
you can’t see any health problems so an ultraviolet water clarifier is an option
that is not so optional, especially when the quarantine or hospital tank is
located outside. We suggest the Emperor Smart UV 18 watt for this system.
For it
to work properly, however, it must be installed on a by-pass. The by-pass is
constructed (quite easily) into the 2” PVC coming out of the filter and going
back to the tank. You will need a 2” Gate Valve from us and a few PVC pieces
from the hardware store to construct the by-pass. We send illustrated by-pass
instructions along with the UV.
Many
types of water treatments you may be using in your quarantine tank can rob the
water of its dissolved oxygen. The pumping system just described will add a
little of that oxygen back but it’s not quite enough for us to feel
comfortable. We prefer to run an aerator for added oxygen enrichment during
these water treatments. Some ailments (gill flukes, bacterial gill disease,
etc) inhibit the koi from being able to “breathe” and he needs as much dissolved
oxygen as he can get during his treatment. An aerator kit comes with an air
pump, air hose and an air diffuser (or stone). If your tank is an outdoor tank
pay special attention that you get an air pump that is rated for outdoor use.
Do not waste your money on the little, dinky aeration pumps at the pet store.
They are meant for aquariums and do not work in this situation. We suggest
????.
Last
but not least of the equipment needed for our Mac-Daddy quarantine hospital tank
is a heater. One of the worst things that can happen to a koi hobbyist is to
loose all his koi to a virus. Although viruses are not as common as parasites
and bacterial problems, they do exist and are more prominent in imported koi.
Many of these viruses do not show up until the water temperature reaches the low
70’s. There have been cases where koi were purchased in late fall when the
ponds were cold, quarantined and treated then introduced into the pond before
winter. When spring arrived and the water heated up suddenly all the koi died
from a virus that was brought in with the new koi.
To be
absolutely certain that your new koi has no virus lying in wait you must see
this koi survive in waters over 72 degrees. That’s when the heater comes in.
When
selecting a heater make sure to get one that is rated for the number of gallons
of your tank and for outdoor use if using outside. It has to be strong enough
to maintain the temperature, not just reach it.
Constructing and setting up a quarantine or hospital tank is only half the
battle. The koi must be treated during the time they are quarantined for any
parasites and/or disease. Click HERE to read our article on proper treatment
methods for quarantining koi and goldfish.
