Frag vs. QT tank

[Kakabub]

I'm thinking of setting up a second tank and am wondering if it is possible to use it as a Quarantine and Frag tank at the same time? I would have the lights etc enough for it to support coral. I'm just wondering if you can use it as a frag growing tank and then quarantine as needed with no issues to the frags.

 

[BuddhaKiss]

I guess its possible, but what if during QT, the fish has some type of disease like ich. How would you treat it without harming the corals? Set up a hospital tank?

 

[HumbleLobster]

You could use it as a QT tank and a frag tank at the same time, but only for observation purposes. I'm assuming that you are talking about fish QT, because it defeats the purpose if its coral.

Once the fish develops something that you have to treat for then odds are you will have to use some type of whole tank treatment that isn't reef safe, and thus you'd potentially wipe out your frag tank. For the peace of mind just get a 20L or something even smaller and use that exclusively for your QT/hospital tank.

 

[maroun.c]

That would be called an introduction tank.
guess it wouldbe more relaxing for the fish to go in an introduction tank with some scaping and corals instead of a Q tank environment. As said before if fish develops any disease then it would have to be treated in a Q tank. Also you will have to allow some fishless time between fish to avoid contamination of new comers by disease of previous fish... in this scenario I would rather avoid having to take out the fish after it shows signs of disease as that would stress it even more and the rocks or eggcrate of the frag tank with the corals would make catching the fish difficult. so I would rather have scaped introduction tank without corals which I can convert to Q tank if fish shows disease as both ways you will have to have 2 tanks.

 

[Gwynhidwy]

I keep a quarantine up all the time that I *could* keep frags in. I have macro algaes, live rock, and sand in my quarantine. I only treat the tank with praziquantel when I have a fish in quarantine, which in my experience is not harmful to most corals ( I have seen some problems with mushrooms). If I need to treat a fish with any other medications I move them to a hospital tank.

Technically, a quarantine tank does NOT need to be a treatment tank, but rather simply an observation (so you can watch the animal for disease) and adjustment tank. A good quarantine should screen for disease as well as help the fish recovery from capture and adjust to prepared foods prior to having to compete with the other fish that are already established in your DT. So long as you can remove the fish to another tank for disease treatment you can keep corals in your quarantine, though it is easier to do them separately in my opinion.