k9flash Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hey guys, so tank has been cycling over a month now and thinks are looking very nice. Think I have all the major components dialed in except for the QT. As I get close to purchasing the first of my stock I was curious what you guys are using for a quarantine tank. As always thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trautman Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 i certainly suggest quarantining fish. if for no other reason then to get them eating. a ten gallon tank works for most fish (there are obvious exceptions). i have heard of many people using hypo salinity (around about 1.009) for about four weeks. this is probably the safest thing to do. However, i usually will only buy fish that i would feel confident putting in my display tank. then i quarantine them for about a week under normal conditions. at that point, if they show any signs of illness or troubles, i carry out a treatment procedure accordingly. most of this is theoretical, i usually break my own rules... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9flash Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 So i'm thinking 10g with bare bottom, air stone and a heater? Any lighting requirement? Oh and do you fresh fill with saltwater for each quarantine or do use cycled tank water? I know lots of questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead77 Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Ask the LFS where you get your fish what he thinks. Most LFS's around here treat fish with copper before selling them. I think the argument can go both ways: Always qt because you just never know.... Don't qt, this just adds to the stress factor on the fish and can cause more harm than good. It all comes down to your comfort level and how you feel about the fish supplier. Many times you will qt a fish for 3 weeks only to have it come down with ich two days after dropping it in your DT. I fall on the side of no qt. YMMV, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Always QT EVERYTHING!!! Fish should be treated with copper so you are sure all/any diseases/pests will not be transferred to your display. Corals should be dipped and monitored for at least 4 weeks. Snails and rock should be added to QT and watched/scrubbed until you are sure they are not bringing in pests. I've had monti eating nudis come in on a group of astrea snails and AEFW come in on some acans. I use a 20L for my QT, it has a heater, koralia evo 750, a tunze doc skimmer, and a float switch for ATO. I have a 250w MH or a 70w MH for lighting depending on the needs of what is being QT'd. I do 50-75% WCs on it with water from my display and try to keep it running all the time just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead77 Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Well, that's certainly one side of the argument.......And certainly a valid one as well. However, what about those folks that don't have the where-with-all to keep a second tank up and running? Are there alternatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Well, that's certainly one side of the argument.......And certainly a valid one as well. However, what about those folks that don't have the where-with-all to keep a second tank up and running? Are there alternatives? You can dip all the corals you get, that won't kill any pest eggs or the like. Other than that you'd just kinda have to go with the flow and risk it i guess. Fish get ich? Hope the fish don't die. Some people live with it, but its just too much risk IMO. You risk giving it to other people when you trade/sell corals, and risk your fish dying from it until its treated. I like my livestock to thrive, and fish won't thrive with ich. IMO, given the amount of $$ we spend on our tanks and livestock, $100-$200 to setup a good QT tank is more than worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 I think for one to have a good Qtank that it needs to be set up and running at all times. This means having a cycled tank with rock to promote good living conditions and a bacteria base as well. Then if the fish gets Ich and we decide to use copper doesent this kill the live bacteria? Filtration is an important part of the equation as well or a lot of water changes(which is not good either) I dont think that setting up a Qtank on the fly does any good JMO. Then to use a Qtank properly we must leave the Fish/coral in the tank for how long? most people cant wait the 6-8 weeks to put the fish in their display tank, we are not patient people we are addicts:-) well most of us are. From my experience I have really only had Ich when i first started in the hobby(knock on wood)I did nothing to treat it at all. I have been known to have several tangs in my 150gal tank and have not had a problem with Ich. When I buy a fish I always make sure that they are eating well and their scales look well before I buy them and If they are not then there will be other fish to look at down the road that will be eating well, we just have to be patient. I have seen A powder blue tang bought from a person who owned this fish for 2yr and when put in another tank came down with Ich in 2 days. This fish was not treated but had Ich for 2 weeks and went away. The fish is fine to this day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Yah they may make it thru the 1st time they get it in your tank, maybe the 8th time. But while you are worrying if they will come down with ich and die everytime something stresses your fish out, I do not have that problem. I will never have to worry about ich, ever, due to my QT procedures. And i can safely sell you corals without worrying about giving you any ich cysts while you cannot say the same. Ich is just one of the multitude of pests/bugs/diseases we can prevent. To me its one of those things that can be very easily prevented, so I do it. And I don't run a QT at all times. My QT has been down for the last 6-8 weeks, but i won't buy a coral or fish until i can put it back up. But you know its like a lot of stuff in this hobby, there are many ways to do things and no one way is right. This is just another example of that. Both ways work, you just gotta live with the results your way gives you. I can't tell you how many times i thought i could DIY something just as good as buying it, only to end up buying it in the end anyway (laugh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 So i'm thinking 10g with bare bottom' date=' air stone and a heater? Any lighting requirement? Oh and do you fresh fill with saltwater for each quarantine or do use cycled tank water? I know lots of questions.[/quote'] Id use cycled water, use a powerhead for circulation, run some kind of filter, heater. I would not use an air stone unless you think the fish need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trautman Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 using cycled water serves a dual purpose: it will give you precycled water, and it will also help keep you fish adjusted to the conditions of your DT. make sure the heat is the same too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9flash Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 Sounds good guys. Thanks for all the help though I think I have decided to just leave the rock and sand in the tank and not mess with putting livestock in. Much easier to manage. J/K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Sounds good guys. Thanks for all the help though I think I have decided to just leave the rock and sand in the tank and not mess with putting livestock in. Much easier to manage. J/K (laugh) I've thought of that often while dealing with redbugs, then AEFW, then monti-eating nudis, then AEFW again. Perhaps those are the reasons i'm so adamant about QT, more so than a lot of folks. Whatever you decided i'm sure you'll find something to suit you and still have a great looking reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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