Do You Have a Quarintine Tank?

[Puffer Queen]

I have several QT systems of varying sizes to accomodate different fish, sharks, seahorses, liverock, corals, algae, etc.

They are not all up & running but can be set up when needed. I do have air driven sponges in my display systems and a separate tank that only has air driven sponges that is cycled/maintained with ammonia. Biological filtration is always available for the new batch of fry, QT or hospital tank.

Just in case there are any questions or misconceptions about quarantining, this is a great article: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

Kelly

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I have a 10g QT with a copperband butterfly in it right now. When it's not set up I run the HOB filter on my refugium and leave the tank empty. When I got the butterfly I just did a water change on my tank and filled up the QT with tank water, moved the filter over, and threw a heater and some PVC in.

However, this is the first fish I am quarrantining... the last 9 went right in. QT is a great thing to have. Even with disease ruled out of the picture, it gives fish like anthias and butterflies time to get used to eating prepared foods. I am slowly weaning my copperband over to frozen, and then hopefully flake/pellet.

 

[old salty]

I have a QT and am currently using it at the moment for a Naso Tang. The whole setup is about the cost of 1 fish. My reef is ich free, and I plan on keeping it that way.

 

[Jimsreef]

How long do you need to keep fish or corals in QT before you know its safe to move them into the main tank? Jim

 

[integlikewhoa]

I have one but i fell like the others. MY tank is so much better for poor stressed fish that just traveled form the sea to the LFS. The traveld to my home. They are always stressed from being in a bag for who knows how long. And i put so much time into making my tank and perfect place for the fish. Places for them to hid and sleep. Perfect lighting. Perfect levels. As many things as i can to make them feel at home. The Qt tank on the other hand is negleted. Its the truth. Dont have any sand and rock for them. Levels are never checked and lighting sucks. I dont have a chiller, Uv, oceanmotions, fuge, rock, food, sand, nice lighting, and many other things that come in a reef tank but not in a Qt tank. I dont anyone puts enought money or time to keep the Qt tank in a good condition like our main tanks. When i think of that i think a main tank is a better place for them. So my Qt is up and running but hardly even use it. Mostly use it for inverts i find that shouldnt be in my tank. Hitch hikers mostly. Ohh and a damsel thats a lifer in the Qt cuz hes missing a tail.

 

[old salty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6604955#post6604955 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jimsreef
How long do you need to keep fish or corals in QT before you know its safe to move them into the main tank? Jim

A general practice is 30 days. If you have ich or something else, you would begin the 30 day count when everything has healed.

None of the fish I have placed in QT have ever given any sort of indications that they were stressed. After a day or so, they eat readily and get bigger appetites. I guess everything is relative; my idea of stress is having to remove all of my corals and live rock in order to catch a bunch of fish that don't want to be caught.

 

[krismist]

no. I thing that fishs are better off adding to regular tank. Less stress

 

[jeffbrig]

Do you guys really think that a new fish is better off being thrown into a tank where it has to compete with other fish for food, deal with aggression, and can't be treated for disease? A QT gives a fish a chance to recover in peace, regain its strength, and get treated for any illnesses before having to mix it up with your established fish. It's also a good guarantee against passing diseases/parasites to your other fish. The new fish gets a chance to learn to accept prepared foods, and you can make sure it is eating well while there's no competition from other fish.

A well planned QT setup should not be deficient to your normal tank in any way except lighting, which isn't an issue for fish anyway. If your QT's stability/parmeters are lacking, it's because you're not making the effort - maturing biological filters in your sump ahead of time, keeping up with water changes, etc.