Qt questions????

[tmkx3]

I am setting up a qt to treat for ick. I am going to use coppersafe. I am wanting to put some limestone in for hiding. Is this okay? I was also thinking about putting my protien skimmer on the qt. It is a hob pro prizm. Does acrylic absorb the copper? I also have hob filter that I am wanting to put on the qt it is made of some kind of black plastic. Will this make it unsafe to put them back on the main when I am done. Will they absorb the copper?

 

[kevin2000]

Limestone is a form of calcium carbonate which tends to bind/absorb copper .. as such, its not something that many would use within a hospital tank. Your better off using a bare bottom tank and using some pvc/plastic pipes for places for the fish to hide/shelter.

As far as the HOB filter ... s/b fine so long as you clean it well and toss the filter media. However, I suspect most just spend $10 at Petco/Petsmart and purchase an inexpensive powerfilter dedicated to the QT.

Edit: Did not catch the "skimmer" when reading HOB ... I do not think plastic/acrylic is going to absorb the copper. Not many use a skimmer in a QT/hospital tank since there really not needed ... I would be concerned that some meds may be skimmed out with a good skimmer .. not sure about copper.

Hope this helps.

 

[tmkx3]

Thanks so much. I was thinking that the skimmer would help with keeping the tank clear of ammonia spikes.

 

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7331122#post7331122 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmkx3
Thanks so much. I was thinking that the skimmer would help with keeping the tank clear of ammonia spikes.

That's an admirable goal. I suspect most find that transferring some mature filter media from their show tank combined with water changes will control ammonia. One of the benefits of going "barebottom" is your ability to syphon out any uneaten food or fish debris .. turkey baster works well. Removing this "crud" will help maintain water quality.

Good luck.