QT question

[scarson61]

I have a 29 gallon tank that has been running about a year. I am turning it into a Quarantine tank and was wondering if I can run it without lightsa while nothing is in it? Right now it has a hang on whisper filter and two power heads with a 3 inch sandbed on the bottom. There are many micro organisms in there so I wanted to keep them alive so what if I back off with just one power head and the hang on the back filter? would this work? I'd like to use to Quarantine corals that is one reason I'd like it to be a little more stable but not using so much energy.

 

[bshumake]

when you have a QT tank the tanks will be having a lot of different medications running through it. The microorganisms will die and the sand will retain some of the chemicals. If its a true QT then it should be clean and able to be bleached. If its for holding then i'd say OK.

 

[Rendos]

I agree...get rid of the sand bed.

 

[scarson61]

So I guess this is something I need to set up as needed. I want to Quarantine coral. So will an newly set up QT have good water quality (cycled) or should it run it all the time without sand or lights? in another words new or aged.

 

[Reefdiver77]

I have a 12 gal that I use as QT as needed. I always keep extra saltwater on hand in case I need to set the tank up. It is bare bottom. I have a heater, hob filter, powerhead and a clamp on light. I also have a couple of pieces of pvc pipe for my fish to hide in. I have dedicated equipment for this tank so as not to contaminate my other tanks with copper, etc. If you want to use your 29 as a holding tank for your corals, just to observe them for a while prior to putting into other tanks, you should be okay with the sandbed, but not if you have to treat a coral, etc.l