So, what all is necessary in a quarantine tank? I have a 29 gallon that is currently set up as freshwater and I don't plan on adding any more fish for a while but was thinking I could relocate the fish that are in that tank and use it as my quarantine tank. It's currently running an Emperor 400 filter but I'm wondering if I can just take that off and add live rock and a couple power heads and that be enough. Does there have to be a filter too or is the rock considered the filter? Also, what kind of light is required for fish only? I have a finnex planted plus 24/7 on that tank now that I was going to move over to a different tank and I have a cheapo light that has multi color and then blues. Wondering if that light might work.
You really don't want rock in a QT tank in case you have to use medications. Some meds are absorbed by rock making dosing almost impossible (copper). For a cycled QT all you need is a simple HOB filter(I use AquaClear...a Fluval product) and fill it with ceramic media. For a 10 gallon QT I use a 30gal or 50 gal filter. You also need a heater and some PVC fittings for hiding places. For TTM I just have a source of water movement, a heater and some PVC fittings.
Oh I thought you could dose with rock but just couldn't use the rock in a DT later. I have a bag of matrix in my bc29 now that I can move over. I currently have that huge filter but it really takes away and I'd rather just have a smaller one if one is required. TTM???
That's true for most meds. The problem is the absorbtion means your drug levels may fall below therapeutic levels. This is especially problematic with copper (and that's the medicine that dictates not using the rock in a tank with coral). TTM=Tank Transfer Method....a way to treat Ich(and no other disease).
So what prophylactic meds are suggested for quarantined fish and how long is a safe QT period? 6 weeks? 8? Longer? PraziPro? Copper?
Whether to treat prophylactically or just observe is something you have to decide. Look at this thread, it will explain most of your questions. It outlines the different approaches you can choose when doing quarantine. Many just observe and treat if they see signs of disease. My problem with that is that Ich may not show obvious signs for 4 weeks or more.....or sometimes not at all. Velvet can also take a few weeks to become apparant. I treat preventitively for Ich (with TTM) and flukes/internal parasites (Prazipro) and my QT is at least 4 weeks...some times more. My other goal is to get the fish acclimated to capitive life and eating well so he can compete in the big tank.
You didn't post the thread you want me to look at. I think you posted something somewhere though, and I forgot to look. Maybe the same thread you are talking about.
Sorry, brain fart. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-quarantine.189815/ Let me know if I can help explain anything that's on that!
Yeah! That's the one you posted on my other thread. I do have a question though. The tank will come with 2 existing fish, a black and white clown and a 6 line wrasse. Should I quarantine them when I get them and treat for anything before putting them in the DT once it is all set up and all? The only problem I'm having is I'll have to get everything moved and set up in the same day. Well, I do have an empty 10 and 20 gallon tank that I guess I could set up with a power head to house loose corals in until I get it all up and running. I'm really not sure of the best way to do this! Kevin, the guy I'm buying the tank from, said he's moved it all before and is going to help me get it all packed up and all. He's also sending me with water to get it up and running. It comes with a RODI unit too so I'll have that as soon as I get it hooked up. I'm getting nervous as it's getting closer to moving day!
Depends. Are you going to run this tank long term? If so are you going to add more fish later? Are the fish going to be moved to another tank with fish in it already? If you just bought a tank that has been up and running for a while and are going to move it without adding any thing I wouldn't do anything but move it if it were me.
This is it. It's an 85 gallon with a 35 gal sump. It will be my main tank and once up and going and stable I'll move my corals from the bc29 over, rehome the damsel and eventually tear that tank down. The 10 and 20 will just be up temporarily to house everything until I get the tank moved in and set up and scaped and all. I do plan to add more fish in the future but not until everything is good and stable. I want at least another clown, a couple banggai cardinals and maybe something else if I haven't exceeded the bio load. I'd also like a clam at some point. My thoughts on quarantining those 2 existing fish was that maybe the move would stress them and allow a dormant issue to arise. And I plan to have this tank up for the long haul! I will be downsizing other tanks over time.
Wow! beautiful tank. How much do you trust the other reefer? If the fish have been in his tank for a long time(a year) with no other fish added or died without explanation it would not be unreasonable to just transfer them and do quarantine on all subsequent fish. I'm kind of paranoid and untrusting though and probably wouldn't like living with that risk. I would hate to take a year stocking the tank and have Ich break out after the last one.
I know he took the time to get all high end, new equipment and have the whole system tuned in and automated. There are also some huge, beautiful corals in there. There are currently 4 fish but I don't want the sohal tang or angel, so he's rehoming those two. The system is only about 2ish years old. I don't know of any prior deaths and honestly didn't think to ask. It is so beautiful I just can't wait to get it home and set up! I may go ahead and quarantine or treat prophylacticly just to be sure! I'd really hate to have everything all set up and something break out due to stress of moving. Also, thoughts ... I toyed with the idea of going bare bottom with the move but after reading up I just think I want the benefits of having the sand bed. So, since the move will be quick should I just rinse and reuse the same sand or should I go ahead and buy new sand?
Either is ok. Rinsing thoroughly enough to remove detritus is a pain. I'm too lazy to do it. I just got new sand with my move. Good call on the Sohal. They're a terror even in 10 foot aquariums eventually.
Yeah, I read up on both and decided those two were not for me. I already wanted a clown and a 6 line though, so I opted to keep those two. He has a very mixed reef though, and I'm not sure what some of the corals are or their care. The lights are kessils and they seem to be growing well. I grabbed a few screen shots from one of the videos.. can you help me identify some of these? I know he zoas but what are the large flat ones? Is this a mushroom or something else? Urchin? I know the frogspawn, what's the green one?
Here are the videos he made. Maybe you can see things better that way. I saw frogspawn, hammer, Duncan, trumpet, acan, zoa and maybe a couple others that I recognize. I don't know the flat ones and sticks for sure! Any help is appreciated! Also, I asked him for a list of what he had and he wasn't sure on everything without digging through records or something.
