Guide to setup a Quarantine Tank (QT).
- Thread starter Dr. Reef
- Start date
aleithol
New member
Zer0: FWIW, I had a similar thing happen with my 20 gal QTs which I started nearly 1 month before my 150gal DT. One QT had a big brand name ceramic media in it's HOB filter; the other had only foam blocks (I wanted to see if there was a difference); Otherwise QTs only have large PVC pieces for inhabitants to hide -- not a lot of surface area. DT has 160lbs of rock with 120lb sand bed. All 3 tanks were dosed with recommended amounts of Dr Tim's One & Only Reef Bacteria and I used ammonium chloride opposed to ghost feeding to keep the ammonia level up as needed to feed the good bacteria while the cycle was on the move.
With that background, I had two ah-ha moments while cycling that may or may not trigger something to help you:
With that background, I had two ah-ha moments while cycling that may or may not trigger something to help you:
- The point about needed surface area is really important.
My DT cycled as one would expect in less than a week -- it continued to become more robust in the next several weeks and now consistently runs 0ppm ammonia and barely noticeable nitrate; The QT with ceramic media finally cycled around week 6 IIRC -- just barely, but only after I changed-out the original media for another type (I'm convinced not all ceramic/biological media is the same -- some seems to get clogged faster opposed to hosting the good stuff); The QT with only foam blocks never cycled until I flipped out the foam blocks for the biological media I'm now using -- about 2 weeks later and it was done. Ensure your media has not become clogged (it will pick up sludge even without inhabitants if you dose with bacteria and/or ghost feed). Just rinse it in tank water. ...also, I suspect you realize more frequent water changes in smaller volume tanks is going to be a necessity once you get over the initial cycle and begin stocking them -- my nitrates will climb much faster in my small QTs than it ever does in my larger DT. - Not all test kits are the same.
There are many on the market. There can be a bad one in the batch, one can also not run the test correctly, and lighting can influence how one reads the color cards and therefore the end result. IMHO, you get what you pay for with test kits. I've been very happy with my Salifert and Hanna kits. When I went for 3 weeks and my QTs had not cycled, I thought I must be doing something wrong, so I went to my LFS and bought two other brands of Ammonia test kits so I could rule things out including myself -- net is, the cheapest one on the market presented consistently much higher ammonia readings than my Salifert; the other middle-to-upper-priced brand read essentially the same as my Salifert did, but to me, the testing process was much more complicated. The net: Be sure you're confident in your ammonia test kit and method -- if all else fails, have someone else (your LFS?) run the test independent of you, better yet with a different brand test kit, once you've given your tank a little more time and compare the results of both tests.
I'm using an API test kit, pretty sure it is a lower end test kit, but the ammonia readings seem pretty much what i would expect them to be, I may see if i can run sample by LFS to compare.
And yes its bare no rock no sand, the filter has your normal foam pad as well as Fluval Biomax ceramic rings.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15433
I thought they looked good and would do the trick, as well as had good reviews. I'll look into taking a sample to LFS/give it another week or two, also i briefly ran carbon for a bit at the very beginning before switching it out for extra biomax, think i rinsed it out well enough to where dust from it wouldnt be cloggin up the ceramic pores.
Thanks for your advise aleithol
Just an update, once I sent my QT tank back into cycle I also took the carbon out (which was all about a week ago) and raised the temp from 78 to 83. Well that bacterial bloom is now gone and if I had to guess I'm going to say raising the temp to 83 definitely helped if not did the trick.
Now as far as ammonia, I'm still registering over a 2.0 ammonia and still 0 nitrites but testing everyday so will wait it out. Also starting display tank next week so a lot going on right now, it's exciting. Been a solid 2 1/2 months and it's all coming full circle.
Now as far as ammonia, I'm still registering over a 2.0 ammonia and still 0 nitrites but testing everyday so will wait it out. Also starting display tank next week so a lot going on right now, it's exciting. Been a solid 2 1/2 months and it's all coming full circle.
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My nitrite is up above .5 (Red Sea test kit) now so it's starting to spike and I just discovered the Red Sea ammonia test I've been using which only goes up to 2.0 was not registering high enough because when I tested with the API kit it was around 6.0-7.0. I know both kits are good to because both Red Sea and API Were at 0 before I re cycled the tank.
Can ammonia stay high past the nitrite spike and if it does how can I lower the ammonia or do I need to? U recommend maybe a 50% water change or some kind of ammonia blocker to bring it down?
Can ammonia stay high past the nitrite spike and if it does how can I lower the ammonia or do I need to? U recommend maybe a 50% water change or some kind of ammonia blocker to bring it down?
JMorris271
New member
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JMorris271
New member
I am going to do exactly that. Empty 20gl tank with a cheap hob power filter for water movement, light and thermometer. Water changes daily. But one fish in a tank No sponges
Silly clownfish
New member
QT coral and fish together?
QT coral and fish together?
Hi,
I was wondering if there is any reason that I could not quarantine new coral and a fish in the same tank at the same time? The resason I ask is I am upgrading from a 30g to 75g and the 30g with VHO lighting and a skimmer will become my permanent QT. While I plan to only get one fish at a time, I would like to start getting a couple new corals at the same time.
My hospital tank is just a 10g with a penguin mini for filtration and only has ordinary fluorescent bulbs, so i would rather have the coral under the better lights and have the fish in the bigger tank.
The only risk I see is that if the fish needs to be treated for anything i need to set up the hospital tank and move him. But i would need to do this anyhow if the treatment involves copper or other substances that i would not want to permanently contaminate the QT with.
Btw, I have a very good LFS, so my main concern with QT is if he gets the fish in already carrying something. Plus I believe that quarantine is a good way to get to know the new fish's eating habits, personality, etc. without other fish interfering.
Thanks for any advice.
Kim
QT coral and fish together?
Hi,
I was wondering if there is any reason that I could not quarantine new coral and a fish in the same tank at the same time? The resason I ask is I am upgrading from a 30g to 75g and the 30g with VHO lighting and a skimmer will become my permanent QT. While I plan to only get one fish at a time, I would like to start getting a couple new corals at the same time.
My hospital tank is just a 10g with a penguin mini for filtration and only has ordinary fluorescent bulbs, so i would rather have the coral under the better lights and have the fish in the bigger tank.
The only risk I see is that if the fish needs to be treated for anything i need to set up the hospital tank and move him. But i would need to do this anyhow if the treatment involves copper or other substances that i would not want to permanently contaminate the QT with.
Btw, I have a very good LFS, so my main concern with QT is if he gets the fish in already carrying something. Plus I believe that quarantine is a good way to get to know the new fish's eating habits, personality, etc. without other fish interfering.
Thanks for any advice.
Kim
Hi Kim
you already answered your own question.
the only harm i see is when medication is involved. other than that its just a holding/observation tank then there should not be any issues.
Reminder: in small tanks parameters tend to swing wildly so keep nitrates and the big three (cal,alk,mag) in check along with phos.
Good Luck
aleithol
New member
In addition to bnumair's always great advice, another disadvantage to a single QT is if a fish did need medicating and you move it out of that tank to do so, remember the original QT, the water may likely still be carrying whatever disease/pest the fish had. You'll need to keep all of those inhabitants quarantined for a longer period too even if you don't medicate say the inverts ... e.g. if you plan to QT everything for say 30 (or more) days without any signs of problems, your time then also starts over on everything in that original QT, even if it does not have any fish so things like ich can go through their life cycle, die out when they don't find a new host, and not potentially infest fish in the new tank when your inverts and/or that water comes in contact with it. ...it's for that reason, I keep two QTs -- one generally for fish; the other typically for inverts. They don't both always have to be up and running, but it gives me a little more flexibility. Best of luck!
Good advice Bert,
i am sorry guys, i am switching business locations and been really busy and hectic. Sorry for delayed responses. Will try to keep up.
Silly clownfish
New member
Thank you both for the advice. I did consider that if I need to pull a fish out to medicate, then the coral needs to stay in Qt just as long. If I am dealing with treating a diseased fish, that is going to delay me getting any other livestock anyhow as I would not want to deal with any new livestock until what I already had was settled. i don't want to end up fighting multiple fires at one time if I can avoid it.
I may pick up a 20g to keep in the basement to have on hand so I have a bigger option for QT. Or at least If I have a larger fish in the QT it would be by itself. The first fish I plan to add is a firefish - that is small enough that a 10g hospital tank wouldn't be too undersized.
I may pick up a 20g to keep in the basement to have on hand so I have a bigger option for QT. Or at least If I have a larger fish in the QT it would be by itself. The first fish I plan to add is a firefish - that is small enough that a 10g hospital tank wouldn't be too undersized.
So my QT tank should be ready sometime in the next few weeks (ammonia is at zero after being around 8.0 and nitrite has been spiking for the past week), I know people say QT for 4 weeks minimum but the more I read about ICH the more I see that there is no way that's long enough, especially with a beginner like myself to look for signs of ICH.
So the only sure fire way to prevent ICH is 3 months in a QT correct? This tank transfer method is interesting but im not up for that and feel like I wouldn't do it right or kill fish in the process.
So the only sure fire way to prevent ICH is 3 months in a QT correct? This tank transfer method is interesting but im not up for that and feel like I wouldn't do it right or kill fish in the process.
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Spar
New member
If just doing observation, then 8 weeks minimum is what i would recommend. just know that you will eventually, if not soon, transfer in Ich to your DT via a healthy fish that otherwise didn't show the normal signs that the parasite was on it (ex. in the gills, but didn't flash, breathe hard, etc).
If doing copper, then you would want to do 4 weeks at .5ppm followed by a few weeks of observation.
so agreed, 4 weeks is not enough. only way 4 weeks is enough is if doing TTM, IMO/E. but, that is enough time (unless using non-theraputic levels of copper, <.35ppm) to see if the fish have flukes, velvet or brook. Ich is where things get more difficult.
Spar
New member
some fish are sensitive to copper, but many people treat for ich proactively, e.g. without any signs. using cupramine/copper as one of these methods.
including other methods such as tank transfer method, it is the only way to guarantee (within reason) that you are not transferring ich to your DT.
you have to consider that not all fish with Ich are going to provide you with the visual queues that they have the parasite. Otherwise you are limited to looking for: white spots (parasites jumping off), flashing (rubbing against rocks, sandbed, etc), hard/fast breathing (heavy infestation on the gills). if there are only a few parasites on the fish and in the gills alone, you likely won't see any of those signs.
Just looked back.....I put the shrimp in on the 6th, so yeah been 25 days....
nitrates?
Nope nitrites the middle step and don't think my nitrite kit is bad cause my ammonia level has started steady as well. Tank was cheap had a piece of trim cracked off. Looked like water/sand had been in there before hopefully there wasn't something crazy bad in there but I don't know what could even keep bacteria from growing only thing I can think of tho really
. Thinking about getting all new stuff and starting over but can't really afford to. Wish I knew what was wrong here. Thought I did everything by the book.Similar threads
