One large or two small quarantine tanks?

[BrettDS]

I just finished upgrading my 75G reef to a new 220G tank. I'm looking to add some new fish, so I need to get a QT set up and I think I have two options.

I had been using a 55 as a sump for the 75, so originally I was thinking I would remove the baffles and set up the 55 as the QT for the new system. It fits well in the space I have for it and I figure a larger Q tank might be good as I may be adding some larger fish to the 220.

However, it seems like a lot of people are proponents of the TTM and obviously that won't work well with one large 55G QT. I also have two 20H tanks that I was using with the old system (one was a refugium and the other was my previous QT). They would fit next to each other in about the same amount of space that the 55 would have taken up and would make the TTM possible for me, but 20G is a lot less space for larger fish.

So what do you think? One 55G QT or two 20G QTs?

 

[CHSUB]

i use TTM as part of my QT process, so 2 small tanks fit what i do. i guess it depends on your QT process?

 

[BrettDS]

Well, coming up with a Q process will probably be part of this. The fish that were in the 75 were originally added without a Q period when I first set up the tank. After that I realized the error of my ways and I got the 20G Q tank with the intention of quarantining any new fish, but before I could I found out that I would be moving in a few months. At that point I decided not to add anything new to help make the move easier. So the 20G Q tank has been set up and running with no fish for the past 6 months or so.

 

[Dmorty217]

I would suggest 2 smaller tanks. Less meds to use and easier to dose and do water changes. I have used larger QTs and didn't like them as much (125g and a 100g rubbermaid) I now use a 75g with much less headaches

 

[Happyschneider]

If you want to do TTM, I would not suggest to have the tanks next to each other. I don't remember the exact number but ICh seems to be able to travel through air (is there anything that it cannot do?). Why not have a dedicated qt that you can use for all sorts of things (observation after TTM for example) and do qqt in 3 (!) separate cheap plastic boxes. These can go away once you finished ttm and the fish will feel better in a bigger sized qt.

On the other hand you don't want one that is too big as you would need more drugs per treatment round, have more evaporation, need more water for emergency water changes.

 

[scooter31707]

If you are doing the TTM, use the two 20 gallon tanks and use your 55g for your observation tank. If they are 20 gallon long, you may could get away with 2-3 small/medium fish during TTM.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I use a 40B for post TTM observation. 10g or 20g for TTM/medication depending on the fish. Easy to store and gives me lots of flexibility.
Like Dmorty said,it is also easier and cheaper to medicate a small tank.