Guide to setup a Quarantine Tank (QT).

[Tom39]

Still Learning

Still Learning

Well yet again it appears I am behind the 8 ball. A friend asked if I wanted to place an online order with him and without hesitation I jumped at the opportunity. I ordered a shrimp goby and pistol shrimp, lawnmower blenny and a mandarin dragonet. Then I started reading this thread, all of it! :uhoh3: To add insult to injury, the fish will be here Friday.
The sad part is, I bought my qt over a month ago but never set it up. Now I am realizing there was more to it than I originally thought.
Anyway, my qt equipment consists of a 20L qt, a Fluval g3 for filtration, htr, air pump and stone, egg crate for a cover and an old t8 light.The g3 has been running in my dt for 3 months to run carbon and gfo until I got reactors for both. The sad part is the g3 partical filter was cleaned 3 weeks ago with tap water and then rinsed with rodI water, so any bacteria is only from the last 3 weeks. The filter also came with ceramic g-nodes but since I was using it to run gfo and carbon, the ceramic g-nodes were not used and have no bacteria. Again sad!

So in an effort to play catch-up with the bacteria I dumped the carbon and gfo and installed the ceramic g-nodes Sunday morning. Come friday they will be in the filter 6 days.

I know this is bad but can I work with what I have?
IYO, Do you think the qt will cycle or can the bacteria that is in the filter and started on the g-nodes pick up the load?
Can biospria be added on friday with the fish or is that not a good idea?

Did I make a mistake when I ordered a mandarin dragonet? Post 878 talks about a slime coat that lessens the chance of ick and the risk of dt contamination. So it is not going to be in the qt. My tank is only 3 months old though, what are the chances the mandarin will make it? I bought a reef pod pack with the fish but figured that a monthly expense until the dt can support the pod growth for it to eat.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/AlgaGen-Copepods--ReefPods_p_1577.html

With only 2 fish in the qt, I am hoping my qt bio-load should be low if I feed lightly.

In your honest opinion- should I try and cancel the order? If I can't, did I just sign death sentences for innocent victims?

Sorry this is so much at 1 time but I am in panic mode and freeking out,

Thanks for reading,
Tom G

 

[Dr. Reef]

Hi Tom
I am glad you are atleast trying to do things right way. I wouldnt panic nor cancel the order. What you can do is add biospira to the tank with the fish and monitor the ammonia levels. Have a lot of water made at same salinity and temp as qt tank.
If ammonia starts to creep you can start doing water changes daily and keep it at bay,
I have a feeling you will be fine with 3 weeks old filters and biospira.
You can put some fish food in the qt tonight and check for ammonia tomorrow night. if there is no ammonia your tank might already be ready.
Please do this food/ammonia test today and report back results tomorrow, will take it from there.
Good Luck.

 

[Tom39]

Bnumair,

Thank you very much for the help. One thing I forgot to mention was that Thursday night looks like the easiest I can fill the qt. Unless I can call off work on Wednesday and have it setup then. The qt will be permanent and I would not be allowed to just set it up on a table. So I had to make a stand for the tank, that was built Sunday; I started painting it yesterday and it will be finished tonight. I also mixed 30 gallon of water and will continue to keep that amount on hand during the quarantine.
Hopefully this will still work out and as soon as I get it up and running I will feed and start testing.

Thanks again for the help,
Tom G

 

[adamwheel]

I have a fully cycled 29 gal QT and plan to add a chevron tang soon. I will dose cupramine and test with salifert copper kit to ensure proper level.

I have a few bags of ceramic discs in tank as well.

Any specific advice with respect to this species? I plan on the full 8 weeks.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Cupramine recommend 4 weeks at full strength of 0.5 mq/L. I would do 4 weeks then get the copper out via water changes or use of carbon or cuprasorb. Then observe for 4 weeks completing 8 weeks total.
Good luck

 

[adamwheel]

Thank you. So no water changes for 4 weeks? It seems I read you use zero mechanical filtration. Should I remove both carbon and sponge for the 4 weeks but leave ceramic discs?

Thanks again for the continued advice.

Adam

 

[dh50]

i have a 37 gal with penguin 200 hob with approx 500 gram of ceramic media inside that has been running since 7/12.kick started with frozen shrimp after about 4 days took shrimp out and ammonia is staying at around 1.0-1.5. is this normal or is there somethin i can do to speed things up some. i have a 125 dt that am currently in about the 15th week of fallow due to velvet (hence the qt set up) but water parameters are good with zero ammonia. should i take my sock of media out and put it in my dt sump for a while or maybe some other suggestion or should i just wait it out? Thanks

 

[Dr. Reef]

Thank you. So no water changes for 4 weeks? It seems I read you use zero mechanical filtration. Should I remove both carbon and sponge for the 4 weeks but leave ceramic discs?

Thanks again for the continued advice.

Adam

Hi Adam
there are some exceptions, if tank is fully cycled and maintained that way then yes you can get away with zero mechanical filtration. even in a non cycled or in process of cycling qt you can still get away with no mechanical filtration but makes it difficult.
What i do is have a qt cycled and just use ceramic media in media socks and place it in HOB it naturally acts like mechanical filtration as it doesnt let bigger debris pass through along with providing biological filtration.
Carbon should be removed for any medication.
Sponge can stay in as mechanical filter as long as you dont clean it rinse it or as a fact dont even tough it during treatment or while fish are in the tank.
i try not to disturb anything while fish are in tank as anything can cause mini spike and making life more difficult.
So if you think your tank is ready to handle 4 weeks of bio load and cupramine treatment go for it with no carbon and no touching the media/sponge/filters etc and no water changes unless its extreme need.
in my case i can last a cycled qt through 8 weeks of treatment with no water change and just ceramic media in HOB.
after treatment (after fish transfered) i do rinse the HOB and media out in the QT tank and its water and then drain the dirty water out starting with 100% new water.
Good Luck

 

[Dr. Reef]

i have a 37 gal with penguin 200 hob with approx 500 gram of ceramic media inside that has been running since 7/12.kick started with frozen shrimp after about 4 days took shrimp out and ammonia is staying at around 1.0-1.5. is this normal or is there somethin i can do to speed things up some. i have a 125 dt that am currently in about the 15th week of fallow due to velvet (hence the qt set up) but water parameters are good with zero ammonia. should i take my sock of media out and put it in my dt sump for a while or maybe some other suggestion or should i just wait it out? Thanks

Hi
if you can increase the media some how i would start there. if there isnt any room inside the HOB then just use a sock and fill another 500 gram of media and place them in high flow usually around power head or right under HOB where it drains. this will give additional surface area for bacteria to grow on.
7/12 is almost a month old and it should have cycled or atleast put a dent in ammonia by now.
I would start at adding more media and maybe BioSpira (people are reporting good results) i have no faith in bacteria in bottle.(i guess i am old school lol)
Good luck

 

[Jetersyanks]

bnumair... just wanna say thanks the naso is doing good did 2 water changes 50/50 then i bought a red sea copper kit ive had the copper at 0.3 for about 4 days now .. looks good the mobilty in its right fin isnt where i like it but i wonder if he hurt it when i was pulling out the sail fin or if its an infection

 

[Dr. Reef]

bnumair... just wanna say thanks the naso is doing good did 2 water changes 50/50 then i bought a red sea copper kit ive had the copper at 0.3 for about 4 days now .. looks good the mobilty in its right fin isnt where i like it but i wonder if he hurt it when i was pulling out the sail fin or if its an infection

i am glad to hear things going well for you, Fin might be injury that you cant see and may get back to normal in a week or so.

 

[dh50]

thanks Bnumair. after recieving your advice i took the filter sock with 500 grams of media out of my dt sump (it was in there overnite) and hung it from the crossbar in the center of my qt. it is near the filter return and my powerhead is blowing across it. i still have the filter sock with media in the hob penguin. does this sound about right for what you were suggesting? and when i do finally cycle will it be ok to take the hanging sock out and just keep the hob with media and bio-wheel? ive set this up to be a permanent qt. also if you say take the hanging sock out should i put it back in my dt sump just to have a spare bacteria source?

 

[Dr. Reef]

thanks Bnumair. after recieving your advice i took the filter sock with 500 grams of media out of my dt sump (it was in there overnite) and hung it from the crossbar in the center of my qt. it is near the filter return and my powerhead is blowing across it. i still have the filter sock with media in the hob penguin. does this sound about right for what you were suggesting? and when i do finally cycle will it be ok to take the hanging sock out and just keep the hob with media and bio-wheel? ive set this up to be a permanent qt. also if you say take the hanging sock out should i put it back in my dt sump just to have a spare bacteria source?

Good Morning DH50
no, i think in your case surface area is not enough to handle the ammonia at 500 grams so thats why i asked to double it. unfortunately second sock with media has to stay permanently in the tank as well. soon as you pull it out u will find urself in a mini cycle. i know it dont look good but its a must requirement now.
see how ammonia acts in few days and report me the numbers.
Good Luck.

 

[dirk_brijs]

would it be possible to use my old sump which is divided in compartments to separate the fighters. and have a small hang on skimmer used as some sort of filtration having the flow of the skimmer go from back to forward of the sump. Only to be used for this system.
water would also flow through regular white filter floss

 

[dh50]

Good Morning DH50
no, i think in your case surface area is not enough to handle the ammonia at 500 grams so thats why i asked to double it. unfortunately second sock with media has to stay permanently in the tank as well. soon as you pull it out u will find urself in a mini cycle. i know it dont look good but its a must requirement now.
see how ammonia acts in few days and report me the numbers.
Good Luck.

ok. just curious do you think the sock hanging in middle of tank would stress new fish or could i let it lay on bottom after cycle?

 

[Dr. Reef]

would it be possible to use my old sump which is divided in compartments to separate the fighters. and have a small hang on skimmer used as some sort of filtration having the flow of the skimmer go from back to forward of the sump. Only to be used for this system.
water would also flow through regular white filter floss

it can work but my only concern is the baffles. fish will make it over and under the baffles, well maybe not under if you fill them with floss but over maybe. also i dont see much surface are for beneficial bacteria to live.
I rather take the skimmer out and place HOB instead or if you dont wanna invest into a HOB then fill the skimmer with ceramic media and dont use skimmer as skimmer, uses it as a water chamber where water remains quiet high and media remains submerged at all times and steady flow of water in and out. so basically use it as almost like a HOB.

 

[Dr. Reef]

ok. just curious do you think the sock hanging in middle of tank would stress new fish or could i let it lay on bottom after cycle?

it wont hurt a thing either way. i usually lay it under the HOB where water falls and have a large water movement.

 

[dirk_brijs]

it can work but my only concern is the baffles. fish will make it over and under the baffles, well maybe not under if you fill them with floss but over maybe. also i dont see much surface are for beneficial bacteria to live.
I rather take the skimmer out and place HOB instead or if you dont wanna invest into a HOB then fill the skimmer with ceramic media and dont use skimmer as skimmer, uses it as a water chamber where water remains quiet high and media remains submerged at all times and steady flow of water in and out. so basically use it as almost like a HOB.

this would be the idea
so it becomes maybe more clear what the idea would be

 

[maddmaxx]

If im running a full time QT system. do I have to keep changing out the sponges in the filters? or can I just keep the tank running and not worry?

also Im goin to have a 20L as my QT tank, I am goin to be using an aquaclear 20 & an aquaclear 50 on this tank, are they two combined enough for this 20L? I know the actual filtration capacity can handle the tank. but as far as the sponges go. will they be big enough to hold enough bacteria to run the tank?

 

[Tom39]

Hi Tom
I am glad you are atleast trying to do things right way. I wouldnt panic nor cancel the order. What you can do is add biospira to the tank with the fish and monitor the ammonia levels. Have a lot of water made at same salinity and temp as qt tank.
If ammonia starts to creep you can start doing water changes daily and keep it at bay,
I have a feeling you will be fine with 3 weeks old filters and biospira.
You can put some fish food in the qt tonight and check for ammonia tomorrow night. if there is no ammonia your tank might already be ready.
Please do this food/ammonia test today and report back results tomorrow, will take it from there.
Good Luck.

bnumair,

Well the qt is up and running. I filled it at 10am yesterday, added the biospria and dropped in a 1/2 cube of mysis shrimp. Just tested it (35hrs later) and here is what I got-

Ph 8.2-8.3
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5.0ppm
Sg 1.024
Temp 78-79*

Thanks for helping
Tom G