using a quarantine tank

[Traill]

I'm in the process of setting up a quarantine tank and just want to make sure I'm doing this correctly. I've got a 75 up and running for over 3 mos now, lightly stocked. I've now set up a 10 gal with an HOB filter. I put 5 gal of new salt water in it and 5 of the water from my 75, along with a live rock and one lonely snail. I'm assuming no cycling is needed since half the water is out of my display tank. Is the live rock even necessary? I don't have any lights on the 10. What else about the water parameters? Should it just be the same salinity, ph, etc., as the main tank?
So, when I buy a new fish, how long do I keep it in the 10? Then assuming he looks alright, transfer him to the main tank in the usual manner? Too many questions for one post, but if I can hear what a few others do for quarantine, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Heavy Hittah]

well i think you should have some kind of light on the qt.
i dont think that peice of LR is neccessary.
And i think all your parameters should be the same or at least close to your DT.

 

[scrmbld33]

as for water params in the qt, they dont have to be exactly like the display. they just have to test good. as for live rock, i have a peice in my qt, wont hurt anything. the only caution for the lr in the qt is if you treat the qt with medication, you dont want that peice back in the display. a good example would be treating with copper based meds (for ich) which will kill or harm inverts. so keep that peice for qt only. as for a small cycle you shouldnt have any. just test the water and monitor the fish for 3-4 weeks then add to display

 

[Traill]

thank you both. 3-4 weeks, really?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12619780#post12619780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Traill
thank you both. 3-4 weeks, really?

you should run the hob off the sump or display tank for 3-5 days and then switch it over to the qt. That way it will have started a bacteria culture to control the ammonia in the qt.

the live rock would help while the bacteria was establishing itself in the hob but then I would take it out

the whole idea of the qt is that you can treat the fish for 4-6 weeks and then strip down the qt, clean it out and have it ready for the next time you use it.
Having the piece of live rock in there for copper based meds will mean you have to toss it after the qt is stripped down

 

[gatorsfan]

If you use the LR in the QT I would definitely NOT put it back in the DT. IMO I would not put in there in the first place but, I would definitely run the HOB filter on the DT for a few days then switch it over to the QT.

 

[tmz]

Using tank water will not improve your denitrification. The bacteria that perform this function are benthic(they live in and on the rock an substrate not in the water). Using aged or tank water is good for other reasons, since harsh materials such as metals etc. in the salt mix have time to precipitate out.So you need a seeded sponge, crushed coral , rock or other media with a bacterial bed.

 

[discusone]

Here are a couple of pics of my 40 qt.Simple heater,Aquaclear 70,cheaplight.Ammonia badge,thermometer(floating type).

It has been up and running for about 4 weeks,while my 240 is being plumed.I feed the tank a little bit of frozen rotifers once a week to keep the bacteria up and running.The rock from a friends reef tank is full of tubeworms.

In the event any fish need meds,i will remove the rock,and then use the apropriate meds,i.e. copper/prazipro.The sponge/boimedia in the Aquaclear will pull nitrofication duty.

 

[tmz]

Looks very good. I do about the same thing in a 29g. I have had good denitrification with some seeded crushed coral(disposable) in the filter bag of the hob filter. I leave this in during meds and throw it away whaen I'm done with qt and close the tank down.

 

[Aquarist007]

there is a danger in this setup that you should be aware
Twice before I have went with a similar setup--all qt's have become display tanks LOL

 

[discusone]

LOL,ya your right,i spend to much time testing for Cal/Alk and the only thing in there are a colony of tube worms!

 

[Traill]

well, I'm hopeful 10g is small enough that it won't turn into a dt!

I don't understand why I'd need to break it down betweeen uses, though. If I'm in the process of stocking my dt over a few months and will have a maybe 3 or 4 new fish in it at various points during that time, why not just leave it up and running, right? And what do most folks do - put a new fish inl the qt at normal salinity, take the water hypo over several days (and leave it there for how long?), watch the fish for a month, then slowly bring the salinity back up and put the specimen in the dt, assuming no maladies?

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12626049#post12626049 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Traill
well, I'm hopeful 10g is small enough that it won't turn into a dt!

I don't understand why I'd need to break it down betweeen uses, though. If I'm in the process of stocking my dt over a few months and will have a maybe 3 or 4 new fish in it at various points during that time, why not just leave it up and running, right? And what do most folks do - put a new fish inl the qt at normal salinity, take the water hypo over several days (and leave it there for how long?), watch the fish for a month, then slowly bring the salinity back up and put the specimen in the dt, assuming no maladies?

its kinda like cleaning out the hospital room before the next patient

to use a qt correctly you need to use it with one fish for six weeks then another fish ect or use it for 2 or 3 fish bought simultaneously. Otherwise you risk introducing a disease to a fish you have been observing for a couple of weeks with no sign of the disease

in a 10 gal qt I would suggest only one fish at a time anyways due to possible ammonia issues

 

[otrlynn]

You probably picked this up already, but a couple of short pieces of pvc pipe are good to place on the bottom for fish to hide in. Also, I would pick up some Amquel or Ammo lock in case you have an ammonia spike. I almost lost some fish recently due to this but saved them with extensive water changes. I know have Ammo Lock and will always keep some on hand.

 

[tmz]

I do not provide hyposalinity prophylacticly. I adjust the qt water to the shipping water to avoid a long drip acclimation(many shipped fish come in water as low as 1.015) If it's an lfs pruchase the difference will be less. Personaly, I do a formalin bath for all new arrivals before qt. Then I observe for the 4 weeks symptom free or treat as needed.

 

[discusone]

The rock in my QT is there only to ensure a good supply of bacteria to the filter.Most will be removed prior to treating for ick/flukes.

The tank will stay up until my DT is stocked.I am not a fan of hyposalinity,only because of my experiances 5 years ago when i had my 125 reef.And since i believe that most fish come to us with some parasites,i plan on treating with the appropriate meds.

All equipment,i.e. nets/pumps/tongs stay with the QT,and are keep away from the DT.

Since my intrest has always been with butterflys,my first concern is with flukes/ick.So copper/prazipro will be the meds of chioce.A tank treated with these meds will likely not transfer any parasites to the next QT fish.

I am not saying that taking down the tank each time is not a bad idea,but i plan on leaving mine up,with the bacteria adjusted to a theaputic copper level.

 

[tmz]

I don't know if you can use prazi pro and copper at the same time without ill effect. Perhaps you can. But to avoid any risk in mixing these two , I do the formalin bath pre qt for the flukes,brokklynella, etc. As you probably know the copper only kills the free swimming parasites. So unless you maintain it at a therapuetic level continuously, there is a chance cyst will survive from one fish to the other and be able to hatch and swim to the new fish.

You mustbe excited to be getting new stock. Good luck with it.