600gal (96x48x30)

Yeah, a seperate system is the best way to run a QT. For a temporary setup though, its dead easy to do. I have a friend setting up his new fishroom right now (new house), and he wants QT for both fish and corals, and decent size as he plans on doing some larger orders. He's going to have the main system have a couple feed valves that run to the seperate tanks (were thinking a 33L for corals, and a 40B for fish for now). Its important to have the same water in your QT as the main tank... minimal stress when you do the final transfer. It also makes for easy water changes. Each QT tank will have an overflow to the drain... so a water change is as easy as opening up the valve that feeds water. OR, if you want to drain it completely... unscrew the standpipe.

As for running each tank, the 40 will have some lights over it for the corals, and nothing more inside than a few powerheads to provide circulation (oh, and a spare heater). What kind of lights will just depend on whats left over... maybe 2 to 4 T5 bulbs... maybe a spare 250wattSE halide he has. This QT will allow for corals to be treated with flatworm exit and interceptor to keep the main tanks (300g display, 150g frag tank) from getting any.

The fish tank wont need much for a light... maybe a spare strip or something for viewing. A simple powerhead with the intake at one end of the 33L and outlet at the other should do... keeping a gentle flow from one end of the tank to the other... a couple ceramic caves for more timid fish to hide in. And a powerhead.

My QT/hospital tank? A nano-cube. IMO, they suck as actual tanks, but as a temporary setup for QT... they are perfect.
 
Ok, I confess, I already have it set up this way. I take water from sump near return, send via iwaki 20rlt (about 400gph) to 20gl tank with chaeto and 1/2 tank 3" sand (for wrasses). Overflow goes through Aqua 57uv to filter sock, then through skimmer, carbon etc. then to display. Should I encounter a disease during QT, i will just close off from system (uni ball valves on both ends). No problems yet, but I don't add fish very often because none of my longer term residents have died (other than a jumper and one wrasse killed by my tusk on introduction). If i have to treat I'll just chuck the sand and chaeto.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8789480#post8789480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tylorarm
Seems so much easier if it was consistent water quality, PH, salinity, etc.
Click to expand...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8789928#post8789928 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
the whole point behind a QT is that it is a completely separate system so there is no cross-contamination and the water parameters can be independently controlled.
Click to expand...

You can have a valve that you turn on to feed water into the QT so that when you need to fill it you can add water from your main system and then just add new saltwater to your display, it would be like a mini water change but instead of it going down the drain it goes to the QT for a wk... A wk later you drain most of the water in the QT and refill yet again from your display and then add more mixed water into your display...

As a few have stated it's not advised to have a QT/HT plumbed in line with your main system because then really there is no point in having it, you should just throw the fish right into the display...
 
I guess my point is, which I hope I'm not belaboring, that the UV provides the barrier to anything that matters, if it is 100% kill rate (isn't that what sterilization means?). My UV sterilization rate recommended flow for 57w Aqua is more than 4x the flow i'm running through it from QT/refugium, everything organic should be nuked and dead. I only add a couple fish a year on average, so normally it's just another 20gls of water and some nitrate reduction from sand/chaeto. Much more pleasant QT for fish with chaeto, sand and perfect water quality (very oxygenated also source is right after skimmer). Since I started my 1st SW tank 30 yrs ago now, I've never even encountered SW ich (i have had FW ich but easier to deal with). If i have to physically isolate, because I need to add medicine, i take off line and drain/scrub afterwards. I feel a totally seperate QT is painful and a waste of resources. Unless of course I get an infected fish in my quasi QT and bugs get past UV, skimmer, carbon and then I've been proven wrong, and I'm going to suffer now doubt.
 
tylorarm: I am not sure I understand what pain you are saving yourself from in not having an independant QT. It seems to me that it is about the same amount of equipment with about the same amount of maintainance, but with much more possibility of cross-contamination.

There is no way that a UV unit will have 100% kill rate on everything that passes through it and I think that having a QT inline as you write about is unneccessarily risky. I understand you want a comfortable QT with stable water parameters, and that is surely an issue with smaller tanks, but at what price?

Here is an early picture of my QT:

qt%20day1.jpg


You can see the gate valve above and to the left. That is a gravity feed from my refugium which then goes to a float valve. There is also another float valve for RO/DI top-off. You can see a small skimmer which also has a media basket. SO when I want to acclimate the fish they are acclimating to system water. This tank is easy to clean and control, and there is no way for any medication, disease, etc. to get into the main system. What's so painful about that? :)
 
I buy it at an Asian food store too, but I get the dried (not baked) and it is in thin strips. It looks like seaweed confetti.
 
LOL, thanks guys... I found a few threads after posting my question and they were talking about getting nori from an asian market... I am going to find one close and also look into picking up some of the following as well :

oysters
scallops
shrimp
clams
squid

and making my own fish food, I make my own now with diff flakes and pellets and what not, but I want to start making more "natural" stuff that would be better for the fish...

Anything I may have missed or may want to add to the mixture ??
 
Shawn,

Check into melev's web site where he details how he makes his food. You can get that mixture of seafood all in one bag at most Asian stores. I use that, the nori strips (come in a nice plastic jar which I like because I keep them in the freezer which keeps them drier), cyclopeze, mysis shrimp, silversides (also available very cheap at the Asian store), Garlic Guard, Selcon, krill, Spirulina pellets, and sometimes brine shrimp.

I do it exactly the way he does and my tank loves it! (so do my aiptasia :( )
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8819206#post8819206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cward
Has the tank cleared up yet?
Click to expand...

Yes, tank is much better now, has been for about a wk... Diatom is all gone and tank has been testing good, I am planning on placing a few fish in the tank after Christmas...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8819773#post8819773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cward
Ane recent pictures?
Click to expand...

No not at this time, Since it's month and year end I have been working alot more then usual... Other then the bloom clearing up and the diatom going away nothing has really happened... I have been cleaning the skimmer cup every day or two and just waiting... The snails and scarlets are doing fine and as long as nothing changes on the tests, I will be adding in a few fish with in a wk or so...
 
Remember whatever you add you will never get back out unless it's tail first. Soooo what are you going to add first???
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820456#post8820456 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sammie
Remember whatever you add you will never get back out unless it's tail first. Soooo what are you going to add first???
Click to expand...

I was thinking about a few small fish...

Rainfordi Goby
Neon Goby
Pseudochromis
Sixline Wrasse

I might start with a few Pseudochromis (diff ones) and then add a school of Neon's, then a school of Rainfordi's...
 
I would skip the 6-line, unless you are just absolutely set on getting one. Most everyone I know (including ourselves) have had to trap out the 6-line to prevent it from beating up one fish or another (and usually those fish were more desirable and expensive than the 6-line). Just a thought. :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8820763#post8820763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
I would skip the 6-line, unless you are just absolutely set on getting one. Most everyone I know (including ourselves) have had to trap out the 6-line to prevent it from beating up one fish or another (and usually those fish were more desirable and expensive than the 6-line). Just a thought. :)
Click to expand...

I wanted to get at least one for the frag tank, and I was thinking while I was at it I would add one or two to the display as well, maybe I will just stick with one in the frag tank...
 
we use a yellow wrasse (H. Chrysus I believe) in our frag tank. IMO more effective for certain pests and less aggressive than a 6-line, and quite the spalsh of color too :). And an ornate, or sometimes call Christmas, wrasse in our display tank (H. Ornatissmus I think).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AZBigJohn
New Build... I'm back
Replies
15
Views
449
Dustin07
D
H
Automatic Aquarium Feeder: MIXO
Replies
0
Views
53
hydor_italy
H
projectsWithSam
Sam's Oceanic 120
8 9 10
Replies
187
Views
2K
griss
griss
AquaticReefTV
DIY Cable management time lapse
Replies
1
Views
531
S|\/|S
S
J
Calcium very elevated
Replies
3
Views
209
jcarlilesiu
J
Back
Top