setting up a new QT tank

[Anthony357]

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 82
setting up a new QT tank
I am setting up another (bigger) QT, i want to put all my fish in there for a month or two. I see signs of ick building in my 90 gallon reef tank on 2 of my tangs i have. I know the blue tang and powder blue are the biggest culprits in terms of getting/keeping/speading ich so i want to get them their own home for a couple months so i can let it die out in the display tank while treating the QT with copper. My question to everybody is, what size would be a good size QT to house 8 fish, comfortably? I currently have:

Pair of picasso clowns
blue tang
powder blue tang
coral beauty
vlaminigi tang
starry blenny
melanurus wrasse

The biggest fish (powder) is only about 4 inches long with all the others being about 3 inches roughly.

Do you think a 46 gallon would be big enough? i dont have the room, lengthwise, to get something 4 ft wide. i could get a taller style tank, but dont have the width to put a wide tank. What do you think is the right size to get?

Also, since this will be dosed with copper, i dont really need a sump/protein skimmer/etc, even though the waste produced might get high with 8 fish in there. but a simple hob system should do well enough? I should also take the carbon and filtration stuff out of the hob filter, right?

Need to buy a QT soon, as i want this going sooner, rather than later, and all of your input is very helpful. Thanks!

 

[Dmorty217]

If you have plenty of different sizes of pvc for the fish t hide in you might be ok. You can also use eggcrate to try and section of fish if need be. Biggest issue will be filtration capacity, I would imagine the ammonia would be difficult for you to control

 

[Anthony357]

i found a nice corner tank that would fit a spot that i had in mind perfectly, not 100% sure on size, im thinking its around 40g. How could i control the ammonia/nitrate levels without running the filtration/protein skimmer. I do weekly water changes on my 90 of about 15% so i could do the same with the QT, i could also cut back a little on feeding them if i had to to help keep params in check.

 

[scooter31707]

Without running filtration and a protein skimmer you will have to monitor ammonia everyday and as soon as you see any ammonia, you have to do a water change. A QT is best if it cycled, IMO. Also, IMO, it's not a good idea to cut back on feeding. This is the time that they need to be fat and get the foods they need before going into the DT.

 

[Anthony357]

yeah that makes sense. Would i want to run filtration (carbon) and a protein skimmer if i dose the tank with copper? Seems like it would just be defeating the purpose of medicating the QT?