two quarantine tanks?

[corbosman]

Hi all, what ive read on here regarding quarantine tanks it looks like I need to set up 2 tanks, one for fish and one for corals. This in case I need to use copper.

Is that correct? Or can I get by with just one?

If I use two, would it be ok to use both for fish AND coral, but only ever use copper in one of the two, and move all corals and inverts to the other one in case I have to use copper?

Thanks,

 

[username in use]

If you have the ability to keep multiple tanks then it's a good idea to have a "quarantine" tank and a "hospital" tank. Theoretically all of your medicating will take place in the hospital tank and the quarantine tank will be merely for observation and acclimating new creatures to your system. Ideally you would have a third which was kept strictly for corals.

 

[ca1ore]

If you just have a QT for fish you'll be ahead of the masses. Setting up a QT for fish is pretty simple, and not particularly expensive. Setting up a QT for corals/inverts is a somewhat more involved and expensive proposition. I do have both. My fish QT remains dry until such time as it is needed, and functions both as a QT and a HT. My invert QT is setup as a full mini-reef that can supports SPS frags, for example, for a few months. I also tend to use this tank for more delicate fish such as leopard wrasses or to observe fish that have gone through regular QT.

 

[corbosman]

Im setting up a new tank (my first salt water tank), so at least for the next 2-3 years i'll need to keep a quarantine tank running. But of course id prefer to keep just 1 extra tank running instead of two.

Would it be practical to quarantine everything in 1 tank, and if and when a disease shows up, set up a hospital tank at that point? Maybe keep a filter in my DT sump permanently for this reason?

Or is it better not to combine fish and coral quarantine at all, and quarantine them separately?

3 tanks is definitely not an option, I dont have the space. 2 I could perhaps manage. 1 is not a problem.

 

[corbosman]

Ca1hore, why is a QT for corals more involved? Because of light and (even) better water quality? I was planning to start 2 QT tanks, one for fish, one for corals. Fish a basic QT as per instructions on this forum, corals with a frag rack, good light and a nicer powerhead.

But, I suppose my question is, can this be combined into running just 1 QT for both. As a new reefer the idea of running 3 tanks (DT, QT1 and QT2) seems a bit daunting. 4 tanks (DT, 2 QT, 1 HT) I just dont have the space for.

 

[ca1ore]

Ca1hore, why is a QT for corals more involved? Because of light and (even) better water quality?

A fish QT requires just a basic light, flow and filtration; a coral QT will need an appropriate light, better flow and filtration (maybe even a skimmer).

 

[slay]

Personally, I have two tanks and use them both for fish and corals. I don't buy/trade corals while I have fish under quarantine and vice-versa. The reason I have two tanks is for the Tank Transfer Method of addressing Ich mainly (i haven't used copper since the late 90s? or so). Only difference between the two tanks is one has a Chinese black box cheapo LED for the corals and the other is lit with an old fluorescent fixture. Otherwise everything is super simple to make sanitizing the tanks between tank transfers easy as possible. No skimmers, nothing but the lights, a powerhead, a heater and some PVC pipes for the fish/plastic frag rack.