How to quarantine?

creep

New member
Ok its not really how to quarantine, but more of how long should the QT tanks filter be left in my sump before i can consider it ready to use?
 
The main reason to keep the filter in the sump is if it is some sort of biofilter that you don't want to dry out between the times you need to setup the QT.

Other than that, you don't have to pretreat a filter by putting it in the sump.

Hope this answers your questions.

Best of luck,

Roy
 
but doesn't putting it in the sump prevent me from having to cycle the QT tank before adding livestock to it? How long does it take for the beneficial bacteria take to build up? Should I wait a couple of days, a week, 2 weeks?
 
First off, you shouldn't be putting live rock in your q-tank.
I keep a FRESH(never used)filter pad in my sump so it is "seasoned" when needed. I would guess that a couple of weeks would be fine. Remember, NEVER reuse a filter pad after quarantine!
 
I think you misread "livestock" as "live rock" but anyhow, I know never to reuse the filter pad. I am setting up my QT tank for the first time. And since i don't want to have the QT tank running all the time i wanted to keep the filter pad in teh sump till i was ready to get a new fish. Then i would put the filter pad in the filter and set up the QT. So your saying a couple of weeks is how long it should be in there?
 
When you need to QT, you take the water from your main tank and dump it into your barebottom QT.

Your new critters get used to your main tank's water, and your main tank gets a water change.

Piece of cake.

Best of luck,

Roy
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9234661#post9234661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by racrumrine
When you need to QT, you take the water from your main tank and dump it into your barebottom QT.

Your new critters get used to your main tank's water, and your main tank gets a water chance.

Piece of cake.

Best of luck,

Roy

so your saying to not even season the filter pad? that goes against everything I have heard before.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9234678#post9234678 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rustylugnuts
with a few lbs of LR it shouldnt take more than a week

but its a quarantine tank so there isn't any LR in there.

Ok maybe the question was a little confusing. Lets pretend that there is no tank or anything. my question is now this. If I were to put a sponge in my sump, how long before the beneficial bacteria builds up on it?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9234672#post9234672 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by creep
so your saying to not even season the filter pad? that goes against everything I have heard before.

Me too.

I will always keep one going in the sump because I plan on breaking the q-tank down when not needed.

Your right, I saw live rock instead of live stock.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9234742#post9234742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by virginiadiver69
Me too.

I will always keep one going in the sump because I plan on breaking the q-tank down when not needed.

Your right, I saw live rock instead of live stock.

So what is the minimum length of time you would leave the filter pad in the sump before using it? I have a 10 gallon tank with an aquaclear 50 that I am using for my QT.
 
I'm no expert but I would leave the filter in the sump for at least a week. That should be long enough to get the bacteria started. Just don't put alot of fish in the QT at once. FWI, I keep a power filter running all the time in my 'fuge so it's always ready.
 
You can put the pad for the Aquaclear 50 in the sump.

Since your QT water will come from the main tank, your QT will be a barebottom, and you won't overfeed when you add the 2 clowns, even if you were to use the filter pad right out of the box, I don't think you'll have a problem.

The only thing you should have to worry about is nitrates increasing during QT. Fish can stand a pretty high nitrate level. If you monitor your QT water periodically, you can perform water changes (with fresh water, not main tank water) if you think nitrates are getting too high. For a fish, I'd say that high would be anything over 50.

Here's more info http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php and http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/atj/feature/index.php

Hope this answers your questions.

Best of luck,

Roy
 
Read through the first 3 paragraphs under "Filtration" and you'll see that just adding water from the main tank is not enough. Keep a filter running at all times to be used in the QT.
 
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