Recommended quarantine size, how to start cycle

Nemosmom1

New member
Hi everyone,
Am new to this hobby and this site. I have an 8 gallon tank that I'm letting stay fallow until the second week of May. ( I didn't quarantine my first clownfish, and think he had ich. . he passed, unfortunately). I'd like to set up a quarantine tank but would like to avoid getting another tank, if possible. (due to space limitations) I've read that sometimes people can use a food grade container. If you're going to be placing the fish in quarantine for 4-6 weeks, would this be ok? Also, how do you start the quarantine cycle ?Thanks. . .
 
Typically QT tanks...or "containers" in your case are not cycled, ammonia spikes are handled by small water changes, daily or semi daily, depending on conditions that you must monitor.

I don't see why you couldn't use a food grade container?....You need at the very least to circulate the water and maintain a fairly stable temperature, however with an 8 gal tank as a display, I'm assuming 1 fish total or possibly 2? I might just use it as the QT/DT depending on what you plan to keep in it i.e. live rock, a few small corals, inverts?....not a lot of options with that small of a DT.

Good luck.
 
I would recommend a cheap glass tank from Petco. You want to observe the fish in QT. You can get a 10g for $10. They have dollar a gallon sell. I actually got a 20G long.
 
Drop in a few pieces of 2”+ diameter PVC a few inches long so the fish has a place to hide out if stressed. Add an air stone or bio wheel type filter to oxygenate the water, a heater and/or fan to control temps, and top off with RODI water as needed to keep salinity stable. And as noted water changes to control ammonia et al.
 
Thanks for the replies. . Yes, I 'm only planning to have one clownfish and one goby. Should have actually gone with a 10 gallon in hindsight. But the live rock, sand, snails and hermit crabs are already in the 8 gallon display tank, so even if I did end up getting a bigger tank, I'm guessing I'd have to start over from scratch with the sand, rock, etc (to make sure there was no ich in my new tank, ie. get new sand, live rock, etc.)?
 
Thanks for the replies. . Yes, I 'm only planning to have one clownfish and one goby. Should have actually gone with a 10 gallon in hindsight. But the live rock, sand, snails and hermit crabs are already in the 8 gallon display tank, so even if I did end up getting a bigger tank, I'm guessing I'd have to start over from scratch with the sand, rock, etc (to make sure there was no ich in my new tank, ie. get new sand, live rock, etc.)?



Not if you left it fallow long enough. You wouldn't have to start over though. Just transfer your water, LR and sand (since it's new clean sand) to the new tank and let it sit. Google for the live cycle of ich to know how long you'd need to wait. One clown and one goby is pushing it in 8G IMO. If you insist, make sure it's a clown that doesn't get big a territorial (basically stick with an ocellarios) and find a goby that stays very small (like 2-3" max).
 
Not if you left it fallow long enough. You wouldn't have to start over though. Just transfer your water, LR and sand (since it's new clean sand) to the new tank and let it sit. Google for the live cycle of ich to know how long you'd need to wait. One clown and one goby is pushing it in 8G IMO. If you insist, make sure it's a clown that doesn't get big a territorial (basically stick with an ocellarios) and find a goby that stays very small (like 2-3" max).

That was the idea. . was going to go with an ocellaris clown and a goby that wouldn't grow bigger than those dimensions. However, since I do think I'd like a slightly bigger tank (maybe 12 gallon), and I still want a quarantine tank (guess I'd have to keep my 8 gallon for that),wonder what's the best way to work around the 76 day fallow cycle for my 8 gallon. .Or maybe it's better to scrap the 8 gallon and just start fresh with new sand, live rock, etc, and clean out the 8 gallon for a quarantine? Not sure how to keep my crab and snail though. . or guess I'd wait for the 12 gallon to cycle, then transfer over the snail and crab?
 
I just reread your initial post. Did you confirm it was Ich or could it have been Brooklynella aka Clownfish disease? If it is Brook you may want to consider treating the tank with Formalin. Wild caught Clowns are high risk for having Brook and other parasites. I apologize, I don't remember the ratio of Formalin (37% Formaldehyde) and it has been quite a while since I faced a Brook issue (no wild caught clowns for me after losing a Clown to it) so treatment protocols may have changed since I dealt with it.

Upside is that the Formalin should knock down anything else in the tank. Ultimately you will get rid of the Formalin in the tank via water changes once you stop dosing.
 
Hi, actually. .I'm pretty new to the hobby, so I thought it was ich. He had white spots all over but then there were spots on his body that were light in color. The LFS told me that he was tank raised. Have been reading threads on ich and brooklynella and how can you tell the difference between the two? I'm letting the tank go fallow for 76 days, so from what I understand from reading some threads. . this should kill all parasites? (Ich and/or brook)
 
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