How long can a hospital tank run for?

[kingkai512]

lets say I set up a 100 gallon QT for fish, how long could i leave fish in there with no live rock or sand? could i set up the sump with a very porous sponge and dose cupramine for disease control?

How could i handle the nitrate upswing that will eventually happen with no rock or sand?

 

[Crabs McJones]

As long as the tank is maintained you can keep a qt tank up indefinitely. You'll want to use filter floss or something non absorbing so your copper levels dont fall out of range, and water changes and bio spira to keep ammonia and nitrates at safe levels.

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Based on the thread title, my answer would be that it depends on what kind of shape it's in

 

[kingkai512]

So what would you recommend be on the "maintenance" chart? I ask this because ive had a clown in qt for several months so i know its possible but with an increased bioload i want to be prepared for any quick changes.

Should i remove any fish poop regularly? Uneaten food?
I was thinking about getting some plastic decorations to make it look a bit more inviting than just pvc

 

[Pdash]

Water changes and netting/siphoning uneaten food. As well as cleaning out sponge filters with saltwater to remove detritus but keep the bio filter intact are both good practices for a qt tank. Slightly elevated nitrates shouldn't be a big deal.