QT question

[kilroy217]

Hey everybody - I'm setting up a 20 gal tank as a QT for my new 125G display. I intend to QT every fish I get before it goes into the DT. I have a controller that is going to be doing automatic water changes for me, so I'll have a constant supply of slightly used saltwater that I can use to fill the QT. My question is, should I set up a protein skimmer on the QT? I obviously will have one set up on the big tank, and this will be water from that tank. Any advice that you can offer would be great.

thanks!
-Matt

 

[bigsink]

Sponge filter or HOB filter for bio. A few pieces of pvc or live rock to hide is all that is needed

 

[Antman]

do you run copper in the QT tank to make sure the fish is parasite free before you put in in DT ?

 

[kilroy217]

do you run copper in the QT tank to make sure the fish is parasite free before you put in in DT ?

I haven't done anything yet - still building. Open to suggestion.

 

[oh207]

If I read correctly, you are planning to supply the QT with water from the DT? While there isn't any issue with this, my personal preference is not to do this. I keep everything completely separate. I only use freshly mixed water for changes in the QT.

A skimmer is not needed. A HOB filter with a sponge and a few PVC pipes is all that is needed. In fact, if you decide to go hyposalinity to treat for ich, then the skimmer won't function properly in low salinity. And if you dose other meds (like praipro for flukes), then you will need to turn off skimmer.

I actually have a HOB skimmer on my QT, but it is only in operation AFTER I finish treating with hypo and prazipro and the salinity returns back to normal (1.025). And QT period for me is usually 2 months.

The reason I start to use skimmer is that towards the end of the QT period I increase feeding from 1x a day to 3-4 times a day. 3 times pellets and 1 frozen. So fish are nice a fat when they are ready for DT.

Good luck with your setup. There are a few great threads here on QT setup.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=87

 

[kilroy217]

thanks for the advice. Just curious - why so long in QT? Do you really need to wait 2 months?

thanks!

Matt

 

[oh207]

thanks for the advice. Just curious - why so long in QT? Do you really need to wait 2 months?

thanks!

Matt

Its just the way the timing works out. And its the plan I follow. I'm very afraid of Ich after getting a complete tank wipe out a couple of years ago. So now I do hypo by default (which is only for Ich). You can also achieve same results in a few days by doing tank-transfer method. But I don't want to have multiple tanks, heaters, testing pH etc.
I have it all built out in Excel. :dance:

Below is an outline of the plan.
Week 1 - QT starts off around 1.015 (Most LFS keeps their Salinity between 1.015 and 1.019). Dose Prazipro (7 days)
Week 2 - 50% water change with RODI water. Brings Salinity down to 1.008 and keep there for 6 weeks.
Week 3-4-5-6-7-8 (Hypo)
Week 8-9 - Raise Salinity slowly back to 1.025

If at the end of the QT period the fish still shows signs of illness, then I might dose Cupramine. I don't like to use it since I don't usually have a good success rate.

My QT is always running and sometimes I've had fish in there for several months. I recently had a pair of clowns in there for so long that they eventually started spawning.