Setting up a quarantine tank

[chocolates mom]

After losing a Coral Beauty to Ick and reading up on the subject I have decided to set up a quaratine tank. I have an old 20 gallon tank which I can use. My problem is that my 55 gallon tank has been infected with ick.. So far the fish in the tank are ok. I am assuming that I can't start a filter in this tank to transfer to the QT because I will be transferring the ick with it. What should I do, wait about 6 weeks and then start up a new filter for the QT tank?

 

[atkinsg]

Moving the fish from your infected system to the QT system effectively infects the QT system, so I don't see a problem with starting a filter in the infected system. Also, depending on how you plan to treat the fish in the QT tank, you may destroy the bio filter anyway.

I would move the fish to the QT without the bio filter, let the 55 run fish free for 4-6 weeks, and keep the water conditions in the QT tolerable via daily water changes.

 

[chocolates mom]

Is it ok for invertebrates stay in the main tank?

 

[atkinsg]

Yes.