Quarantine Tank

[Brandon0034]

Ok so originally I wasn't intending on creating a quarantine tank, but after some research and a few ideas I figured I should. I intend to set up a reef tank this summer roughly 200 gallons and was thinking of starting a 40g breeder for the time being.

Would this be a good idea to start and give me more insight on saltwater in general? I currently have a 125g freshwater but have researched for the past few months and have always wanted saltwater. Everything is planned out for the big tank(equipment, plumbing, etc) and I already know tank cycling etc.

My idea is to use the 165g rated canister filter off my 125g on the 40 breeder and set it up as a regular tank. Then once I get my bigger tank I'll convert the 40 breeder into a quarantine. Any insight on whether this is a good idea or suggestions on the idea are greatly appreciated.

 

[Pet Detective]

Yes, that is a fine idea, you will find that saltwater tanks provide a few more challenges than freshwater, it would behoove you to start slow & small.

 

[upthehill]

Actually.. Mistakes in a 40 gallon are going to be much more magnified than in a 200 gallon tank.. The whole drop of cold water in bathtub full of hot water thing..

That being said, you will definitely learn your lesson harder and faster in a 40. the 200 will be easier on you though.

 

[Brandon0034]

Yes, that is a fine idea, you will find that saltwater tanks provide a few more challenges than freshwater, it would behoove you to start slow & small.

Thanks for the reply. Now I understand that the main point of quarantine tanks is to dose with copper and that nothing I use in that tank can be used in the display. I intend to keep everything separated, but if I wanted the 40b to be a "display" for the time being could I keep a few fish and corals then later when I get my larger tank transfer them over?

 

[Brandon0034]

Actually.. Mistakes in a 40 gallon are going to be much more magnified than in a 200 gallon tank.. The whole drop of cold water in bathtub full of hot water thing..

That being said, you will definitely learn your lesson harder and faster in a 40. the 200 will be easier on you though.

Yes I have definitely read a lot on smaller tanks being less forgiving, thats why I'm opting for a 40 gallon rather than something smaller because I've hear thats the point where it isn't too difficult for fluctuations.

 

[Joe's Coral Reef]

If it was me and I wanted to setup a 200 gallon in the summer, I would get the rock for the tank now. Id buy dry rock, clean it, maybe wash with bleach, put it in RO water with a power head for a few weeks, changing the ro water and checking for phosphates. Then I would put the rock in saltwater, with a heater and power head and start the cycle. Feed the tank once a week with a little ammonia. Check Phosphates and maybe add a phosphate remover. While your curing your rock, I would also setup the 40 gallon.

 

[A1t2o]

I would skip on the canister filter since those tend to turn into nitrate traps. Live rock does the same thing but better. What are you going to do for an overflow and sump. You are also going to need nutrient exportation. Water changes on that big of a system are going to be too much so you need a skimmer and some form of algae setup for manual removal of nutrients. Chaeto or an algae turf scrubber would work.

You will be setting up a large tank, so you want to do everything right the first time. Keep that in mind when planning the 40 gallon tank. How are you going to do your topping off? How are you going to get the water from the tank to the sump? What corals will you want? What lights are you planning on getting? You want to know what your plan if before you start the 40 because you do not want to plan on the 40 being a temporary setup, then have problems with the 200 and the 40 ends up being a long term tank. You need to know exactly what you are doing with the 200 so you can create an accurate budget and timeline. If you will have the 40 set up for more than a year then you want to plan long term with it. Short term planning will just set you up for failure with delays.

 

[Brandon0034]

The 40 breeder will just be the quarantine tank so I want to keep a bare bottom tank with some live rock. The canister filter is just on the 40b because its a quarantine tank that I want to keep simple. Maybe there was confusion and you thought I meant a canister on the 200? but thats not the case

As for the 200 gallon heres my supplies:
55 gallon sump
2 7" filter socks
Reef Octopus SR05000 internal skimmer
BLDC10 return pump(2650gph)
BRS 6 stage RO/DI 150GPD

I intend to do 25% water changes biweekly on the 200 gallon tank. This thread wasn't about the 200 gallon tank though, I've discussed all my plans with LFS and numerous members on here who agree with my intentions. My main concern was about the quarantine tank and if a canister filter for a 165 gallon aquarium will suit the 40 breeder JUST FOR QUARANTINE. I don't have intentions of that being a reef tank, I was considering setting up the 40b now to get a feel for the saltwater and maybe put a few fish in for the time being until I set up the 200 gallon. Once the 200 is set up then the 40b will be an empty bare bottom tank ran with live rock and the canister 24/7 dosed with copper.

 

[Pet Detective]

Thanks for the reply. Now I understand that the main point of quarantine tanks is to dose with copper and that nothing I use in that tank can be used in the display. I intend to keep everything separated, but if I wanted the 40b to be a "display" for the time being could I keep a few fish and corals then later when I get my larger tank transfer them over?

I would not dose copper until I knew there was a problem, the QT tank can also double as a hospital tank but normally you QT fish to make sure they are not sick & infect your DT fish. Now of course if you detect Ich...then Copper away.

 

[Brandon0034]

Yes these are my main intentions for the quarantine tank. I want it to be simple like most quarantines, how it is usually a tank with just water and proper equipment. My only additional idea was to make this my temporary "display" with only a few fish until I get the larger setup. This would give me knowledge on a small scale and then later be used solely as a quarantine.