Doglover_50
Premium Member
Hi all, Sorry question one here is so long!
I recently bought for a QT an established 16 gallon tank with live sand and some base rock and featherdusters. [I had originally planned to buy a stripped down 10 gallon tank for QT/hospital with filter, heater, PVC pipe, but I really liked the 16.] I DO realize that if I quarantine a new fish and it shows signs of disease, I'll have to put it in a separate hospital tank for treatment (given the live substrate and rock in hospital tank). So it seems I've set myself up to have a QT AND a separate hospital tank. Is this foolish on my part? I'm wondering if I should scrap the idea of the 16 as a QT and just buy some corals and more live rock and stick the damn thing in my office-- and start over regarding QT/hospital!
Questions:
1) All I know from prior owner of the 16 gallon tank is that the tank never held fish and was never used for QT/hospital, instead holding only corals, crabs, featherdusters, and snails. Last night I discovered tons of copapods scrambling about the rock, so it seems like a healthy established tank. Thus, once paramers seem okay, and I've done water changes from my main tank into the QT, is the 16 ready to go as QT? Any chance this thing could have diseases I should worry about if he only had crabs, corals, and snails?
2) Also, what are people's thoughts regarding quaranting fish from my LFS? They do hold fish 7 days before selling them, and won't sell unhealthy looking fish with visible disease.
3) Finally, if fish looks healthy in QT, how long do people keep then in QT before transfer to main tanks?
Thanks!
I recently bought for a QT an established 16 gallon tank with live sand and some base rock and featherdusters. [I had originally planned to buy a stripped down 10 gallon tank for QT/hospital with filter, heater, PVC pipe, but I really liked the 16.] I DO realize that if I quarantine a new fish and it shows signs of disease, I'll have to put it in a separate hospital tank for treatment (given the live substrate and rock in hospital tank). So it seems I've set myself up to have a QT AND a separate hospital tank. Is this foolish on my part? I'm wondering if I should scrap the idea of the 16 as a QT and just buy some corals and more live rock and stick the damn thing in my office-- and start over regarding QT/hospital!
Questions:
1) All I know from prior owner of the 16 gallon tank is that the tank never held fish and was never used for QT/hospital, instead holding only corals, crabs, featherdusters, and snails. Last night I discovered tons of copapods scrambling about the rock, so it seems like a healthy established tank. Thus, once paramers seem okay, and I've done water changes from my main tank into the QT, is the 16 ready to go as QT? Any chance this thing could have diseases I should worry about if he only had crabs, corals, and snails?
2) Also, what are people's thoughts regarding quaranting fish from my LFS? They do hold fish 7 days before selling them, and won't sell unhealthy looking fish with visible disease.
3) Finally, if fish looks healthy in QT, how long do people keep then in QT before transfer to main tanks?
Thanks!
