What all is needed for a QT? Do you leave it setup all the time? If so, what do yo have in it,any rock,snails or anything at all? How big does it need to be? Thanks for any advise
Re: Re: QT Tank heater filter. Pvc tube or elbow like 3 to 5 inches. No rock no cleaner crew. No sand or crushed coral. Raffle grabber
Re: Re: QT Would a canister filter work? 20 gal work? Do you leave it running all the time. What about light?
I would say yes to leaving it running all the time, if you put a light on it, it would be for aesthetic purposes only. 20 gallons is plenty for most setups
Well...... I have found it best to not keep it up all the time... Its ment to be a safe home to watch fish and to fatten them up a little before adding them into the DT. If and when I get new fish first and formost I tell the store I am getting it to hold it. This is sometimes for a week or even two. Then I simply do a water change on my DT, set up my QT with the water I have taken out of the DT and set up the system. I keep parts in my sump such as filter material for the HOB filter and a few peices of PVC just like whitney said. With these parts alread being in my system along with the water from my display there is no cycle. Watch if for a day or two and make sure its temp is okay. Then and only then do I go get the fish. Acclimate him slowly and then put him in. During the QT time for about 4 weeks, Change out about 5 gallons a week from my DT into the QT and just throw the other out. Once you have treated and fed and made your new friend happy, then its time to add him to the display. Many say add at night but I have added at all times in the day with no problems... Good Luck. Edit, and the light thing... Yes... you dont need a reef light over it.. a small bulb would do. if you are like me and have space next to the DT and can get away without running a light but still have enough to see okay...
A good filter would be a aquaclear. You can use them kinda like a canister filter you can time double carbon and the sponge for better removal of d.o.c. that build up. Pull the sponge out put it in a bowl of new tank water and squeeze all the detritus out and use it again. Is recommend doing the same with the canister filter. Run plenty of carbon and squeeze the foam sponge in new tank water until its clean. Raffle grabber
If you can't keep one up all the time, or aren't going to be adding much or very often, then what he said If you are going to be adding a lot over the course of a month or two, it is more hassle to break it down and set it up and break it down and .....
If I use a canister filter for the QT, could the sponge be washed out with new tank water until clean and then the canister be run on my sump, instead of pulling the sponge out and putting it in the sump?
Re: Re: QT Nah I think its best to get it out and squeeze and shake detritus and all that stuff out. Raffle grabber
Re: Re: QT You can but its not needed unless you are trying to remove copper. No need for bio balls either.Everybody has their own opinion on qt setups. I think that its best to have it up and running just in case something happens. Say you add an angel and a few days later your mimic tang decides to go ape ish on the angel and the angel gets its butt kicked. You can catch it and house him in your quarantine tank til he heals up and is ready to be reintroduced into th community. Anything can happen with these fish so always have a back up. Raffle grabber
Figured I would throw in my 2 cents here. I have my QT tank plumbed into my existing system by part of the drain from the main tank going to the QT tank then drilled on the side to drain into the sump. I have ball valves connected so I can completely cut off the QT from the rest of the system when I need it for a new fish or treatment. I keep a heater and a HOB filter on the tank at all times so I don't have to mess with anything at all when I need my QT instantly. Then when treatment is over I simply completely drain the tank replace filter pads clean it out a bit and fill it up with new water and turn the valves back on so its like a bit of a water change for my main tank. This allows me to keep it up and running with minimal maintenance and when not in use gives my system a little extra water volume. Plus it allows me to take a fish from the main tank to the QT tank with as little stress as possiable as far as acclimation goes.
Also an aside to this approach, not all QT situations require separate water. Sometimes it is better just to keep a new fish apart from the rest of the tank while it adjusts to captive life, or in some cases while you train them to eat prepared foods.
I believe this is a very good method to keep a QT up and ready all the time. I would agree with keeping a new fish separate from the main display if you cut off the flow to the main tank, otherwise it's not a QT tank? What do you use for flow in the QT when it is cut off, just the HOB filter?
The HOB filter and a small koralia, with a single T8 bulb for a night and day cycle, and a heater with lots of pvc "caves"
