Guide to setup a Quarantine Tank (QT).

[Dr. Reef]

for the permanent quarantine set up was that barebottom with live rock? if not i see no difference from the permanent and temp quarentine set up

The difference between both is not due to hardware or rocks, i dont recommend rocks in QT at all under any reasons.
Difference in 2 is of the method used.
Permanent QT is a cycled tank just like you main tank that does not require means to remove ammonia somehow while temp QT is not cycled and require a person to remove ammonia with use of chemicals or water changes etc.
Permanent QT requires time to establish and in some cases reefers may not have time to wait 2- weeks for tank to cycle such people can setup a tank and move/medicate fish right away in a Temp QT keeping ammonia at bay by doing water changes or by using approved chemicals.
Hardware/setup can be the same.

 

[Johnb123]

yeah I got that but what is being cycled if there's no live rock or sand? the only other thing I could think of is sponges in which case the temp has established sponges from the main tank as well

 

[Spar]

yeah I got that but what is being cycled if there's no live rock or sand? the only other thing I could think of is sponges in which case the temp has established sponges from the main tank as well

there is plenty of surface area throughout the tank even without sand or rock in order to host enough bacteria for your livestock, assuming you are maintaining low bioload in QT. Bacteria will form on the glass and any other object, there is just less surface area than you would get with rock.

PVC attachments make for extra surface area for bacteria and make for hiding places for the fish, a good idea to have plenty of these.

If you see that your bioload is still not keeping up with your livestock then you could dose something like Seachem Stability to assist with extra bacteria. But, you really should be fine without needing supplemental product.

 

[Johnb123]

wouldn't using your already cycled water from your main tank be better to cycle the perm tank than to cycle It from scratch?

 

[Dr. Reef]

wouldn't using your already cycled water from your main tank be better to cycle the perm tank than to cycle It from scratch?

This is a myth. There is no such thing as established cycled water. Water itself harbor such small quantities of free floating bacteria which is equal to none.
Plus you don't wanna contaminate Qt with something unseen or unknown from another tank.
Best to make fresh saltwater and cycle it.
If in hurry you can attain fast or instant cycle by having some sponges or floss or ceramic media already seeding with bacteria in you main tank or sump. 2 to 3 weeks.
You can take that and move it to Qt and add stability getting instant cycle. This could also bring impurities from main tank but less chances.

 

[Johnb123]

that's what I meant use the main tank's water to cycle the quarantine tank for a month I didn't mean to cycle it instantly but yes as you said better to cycle from scratch to save from impurities..

what do you clean your QT sponges with? fresh batch of salt water or water taken from your display to clean it?

 

[mrpergo]

bnumair what would be the proper way to QT a wrasse. I plan on getting a McCosker.
I thought I would also get another dwarf angle at the same time but I was just reading that wrasse have a problem with prazipro, so what is the best QT ?
I bowl of sand some pvc fittings and just observe for a month ?
Just setting up another QT with cover so I have a little time.
Thanks for your help or anyone else who has a QT regime for a wrasse

 

[Dr. Reef]

bnumair what would be the proper way to QT a wrasse. I plan on getting a McCosker.
I thought I would also get another dwarf angle at the same time but I was just reading that wrasse have a problem with prazipro, so what is the best QT ?
I bowl of sand some pvc fittings and just observe for a month ?
Just setting up another QT with cover so I have a little time.
Thanks for your help or anyone else who has a QT regime for a wrasse

You can treat wrasse with Praipro. there is no problem with prazipro and wrasse combination. I have read about the problems but i can blame them on improper use of the drug and other factors.
If you dont feel confident about Prazipro just T the fish like u said and observe it over a period of time.
If you do decide to use Prazipro, spread the medicine out over many days.
Good Luck

 

[mrpergo]

bnumair I cycled my QT.
ammonia and nitrite are now "0" and nitrates are about 40
should I do a big water change before fish or it makes no difference.
I used Bio Spira for my starter a week or so ago and did the shrimp in cheese cloth like I did on the last QT tank.

 

[Kelly1234]

Tank has ich!!

Tank has ich!!

I have a 20 gallon tank set up with 2 nano clowns, a royal gramma basslet, a firefish, an urchin, and some hermit crabs. Yesterday night, I noticed that my basslet was covered with white spots (maybe 25) and panicked because it came up so quickly. Inspecting my other fish, it seems that it has spread to them as well but not nearly as severe. The clowns each had 2-3 spots on them and the firefish maybe 5-6.

I have no idea what to do, they all seem to be eating fine. I do not have a quarantine tank set up and cycled already (my beginner mistake) but willing to buy one to try and save them.

If I get one up and running ASAP using the premixed saltwater I normally buy, would it be fine to add the fish to it without cycling it?

 

[Spar]

Yes but add bacteria from a product quickly, do frequent large WCs, and dose an ammonia detox product as needed. This way you get on the front end of the cycle battle.

What is your plan for treating the fish and the DT?

 

[Rognin]

I've been doing some reading. If I get this right, I need two quarantine tanks with separate equipment?

One for fish, because if I treat with cupramine I can't use that equipement to quarantine inverts and corals?

And obviously one quarantine for inverts and corals?

Am I understanding this right or am I going overboard and a good wash in the sink is enough to get the cupramine off the equipment and just use new filter media?

Also, can I use water out of the carbon blocks only for a fish quarantine or should I still use RO-DI?


Thanks,

 

[Kelly1234]

Yes but add bacteria from a product quickly, do frequent large WCs, and dose an ammonia detox product as needed. This way you get on the front end of the cycle battle.

What is your plan for treating the fish and the DT?

I plan on using copper to treat the QT, as for the DT, I'm not sure what to do with it. I know it needs to sit without the fish for 72 days but am I supposed to be doing water changes? It will still have an urchin and hermit crabs in it.

 

[Spar]

Since using copper, make sure to NOT use ammonia detox products ...

Limit feedings and siphon out excess food soon after eating will also help with ammonia limitation.

Re: DT, just continue it as normal, perhaps cut your WCs in half since you won't have fish waste.

 

[MT_is_a_Pisces]

I have my DT up and running no liver stock yet. Would is be okay to transfer water from DT to QT? Or should I cycle as new?

 

[Spar]

I have my DT up and running no liver stock yet. Would is be okay to transfer water from DT to QT? Or should I cycle as new?

as long as there is no ammonia buildup yet, I don't see why that would be a problem.

do you even have any live rock yet? or is it literally just running water in it at the moment.

 

[Dr. Reef]

bnumair I cycled my QT.
ammonia and nitrite are now "0" and nitrates are about 40
should I do a big water change before fish or it makes no difference.
I used Bio Spira for my starter a week or so ago and did the shrimp in cheese cloth like I did on the last QT tank.

Nitrates of 40 ppm wont hurt any fish but 50+ will start to bother/kill inverts.
I recommend a large water change then adding what you need to.
Good luck

 

[MT_is_a_Pisces]

Live Rock has been running in the DT for about 30-45 days. There should be a good population of biological colonies. My next question is how to get the water between the two tanks. I have a Python gravel cleaner

 

[rjjr1963]

Hypothetical question. If I treat a fish in the QT with copper and it survives how do I introduce it into the DT without contaminating it with copper?

 

[Dr. Reef]

Hypothetical question. If I treat a fish in the QT with copper and it survives how do I introduce it into the DT without contaminating it with copper?

after treatment, use carbon,polyfilter/cuprasorb to reduce copper down to 0. once 0 you can take a bucket of DT water and net the fish out of QT and place it in bucket. then using a DT net net the fish out and move to DT.