Live Rock in QT?

[ScooterGuitar]

I setup a 20g QT tank, I put LR rubble in it from my DT. IF I don't keep it in the QT, I will throw it away. I figure it will be ok to help the cycle, if it even needs cycling since I put it in WC water and a considerable amount of rubble.

IF I keep it in, and end up medicating any fish that go in it, will carbon remove the meds from it or best to just throw the rubble away?

 

[RBU1]

Your call....I prefer Large PVC pipe, but your idea of getting the bacteria in, is a good one. You can leave the rubble rock in but be prepared for it to absorb some of your mediaction especailly if you are using copper. The amount of beneficial bacteria you get from using your main tank water is really not that much. You are basically just making your acclimation for the fish easier because it was the same water they were in. Bacteria attaches to stuff and rarely free floates around. I would use a good biological filter on your tank. A w/d with a good amount of bioballs is good. A large hang on back filter with bio wheels is good. Anything with Bio filtration.....

 

[Mentat]

As stated, LR in QT will adsorb some copper, so you have to test and add more medication to ensure treatment levels are correct. The good thing is, it provides excellent surface area for large bacteria colonies that process livestock metabolites. A bare bottom QT with PVC or plastic decor will probably require more frequent water changes than same tank with LR.

If starting with cured dry rock, this won't be a problem; but if moving LR from a tank that has inverts living in it, using most meds will kill them. This could possibly introduce a spike and mini-cycle to your QT.

To remove organic compound meds, waterchanges & carbon will do. If metal based (copper) will need to run a resin type media like Seachem's Cuprisorb or API's Bio-Chem Zorb. If LR are in tank, metal compounds will slowly leach out of rock so you will need to run removing resins for a longer span that if it had no LR. Just to be safe, I do move LR from QT to DT.

 

[RBU1]

As stated, LR in QT will adsorb some copper, so you have to test and add more medication to ensure treatment levels are correct. The good thing is, it provides excellent surface area for large bacteria colonies that process livestock metabolites. A bare bottom QT with PVC or plastic decor will probably require more frequent water changes than same tank with LR.

If starting with cured dry rock, this won't be a problem; but if moving LR from a tank that has inverts living in it, using most meds will kill them. This could possibly introduce a spike and mini-cycle to your QT.

To remove organic compound meds, waterchanges & carbon will do. If metal based (copper) will need to run a resin type media like Seachem's Cuprisorb or API's Bio-Chem Zorb. If LR are in tank, metal compounds will slowly leach out of rock so you will need to run removing resins for a longer span that if it had no LR. Just to be safe, I do move LR from QT to DT.

I run my PVC tank with positive results. You just need good bio media bio balls work well....and a large bio wheel hang on filter.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I setup a 20g QT tank, I put LR rubble in it from my DT. IF I don't keep it in the QT, I will throw it away. I figure it will be ok to help the cycle, if it even needs cycling since I put it in WC water and a considerable amount of rubble.

IF I keep it in, and end up medicating any fish that go in it, will carbon remove the meds from it or best to just throw the rubble away?

LR rubble, as opposed to large pieces of LR, is not necessarily bad. It is possibly rather compact and can be packed in small space of a power filter.

I like the cheaper crushed coral or oyster shell for QT. It is easily packed and handy.

When you use a calcereous material as the medium of filtration, copper, especially straight unchelated, will be deposited and will be less stable. Some say this is bad and they have valid reasons. I don't think so per experience; I pulse straight copper periodically in a calcaerous setup.

If you use copper, be mindful of such a choice.

 

[ScooterGuitar]

Great and insightful everyone. Really appreciate it!
If I take out the LR, then it iwll just be thrown out I guess.
Well, hopefully I won't "need to", but imagine I will have to run meds sometime in the near future. Yes, the LR rubble I have is well established from my 5 year old DT.
If using copper, basically just use the copper test kit to monitor levels of copper that might be leeched back from the LR, correct?

 

[wooden_reefer]

If using copper, basically just use the copper test kit to monitor levels of copper that might be leeched back from the LR, correct?

During active treatment of fish aganist ich, copper leaching back into solution is not the concern.

When you want to reuse the live rock rubble in reef tank DT after QT, this can be an issue. Plus, direct contact with copper deposit by inverts may not be good.

 

[ScooterGuitar]

Ahh, that clarifies it! Thanks!
Nope, this LR will only be kept this in this tank or thrown out one day.
Appreciate the help.

 

[wooden_reefer]

It is interesting that natural sea water has detectable amount of copper, up to a few parts per billion. This can be as high a 0.5-1% of copper used to treat ich.

 

[jt_milstead]

Are we talking about a quarantine or hospital system?

 

[ScooterGuitar]

The syetm will be for both...I am going to begin treating a clown tonight, when it is better I will buy a few more fish and QT...and treat if/as needed.

 

[wooden_reefer]

If the filter medium can easily be removed from the power filter of a QT or HT, then a tank can serve as both.

QT and HT really are mostly one and the same.

There are a few instances when you want to just isolate (to acclimate or just hold) and do not treat a fish yet. When you QT difficult fish, those that don't start eating easily, you may have to isolate for a while before you treat to eradicated ich. You may want to transfer some live rock to isolation tank to let the fish pick on.

Most of the time, otherwise, it makes little sense to just observe and isolate and not treat, so most of the time there is no difference between a QT and a HT. Plus, it is better that you can remove the biological filter medium from the power filter easily. This further blurs the line between QT and HT, IME.

 

[ScooterGuitar]

Yep, makes sense wooden.