Quarantine Tank

[something_phishy]

I'm setting up a QT and went and got the stuff that I "think" I need. I've been reading alot about them, but just want to make sure that I have this right.

I have a 20 gal tank with hood, heater, thermometer, and a sponge filter. The only thing I wonder about is the sponge filter. Will it work ok? The guy at the lfs talked us into it. I wanted to go with a biowheel, or power filter. Would one of those be better? I also got a couple "fake" things to go in it for the fish to hide. How do I know if they are ok and won't "poison" the tank? One is a bridge made of pebbles stuck together and the other is a fake plant with the same pebble base. These were purchased at a pet shop so are they ok to put in there? We're putting in new water, not water from our original tank. How do I get the QT to cycle with out LR or anything in it?

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more ?'s as I go!

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the boards, phishy.

The sponge filter will work just fine, you should seed it though to establish nitrifying bacteria. If you're starting completely new, then you want to use a bit of raw shrimp to start the cycle. Lots of folks "double up" their cycle in their tanks and for q/t at the same time by dropping the sponge in the tank and seeding with the shrimp. Then the bacteria will inhabit all.

As for the decorations, the issue with q/t is that if you need to treat/medicate you want items that can be easily cleaned and sterilized. For this reason we hit the hardware store--PVC elbows and fittings tend to do the trick quite neatly in this regard.

I see no reason, other than what I just mentioned, why you can't use what you purchased (though it sounds kinda cheezy... I remember when my ex-hubby came home with a pink scuba guy for my tank..).

 

[something_phishy]

The system that we have currently going has been running for 4 years, although we just got it. We have a bit of an ich prob. so I don't want to introduce that at all to the QT. I'm sorry, but what do you mean by "seed"? Would it be ok to drop the sponge in and put water from the original tank in if we put copper in it to kill the "ich" before we put fish in the QT? Does that make sense? Or is it better to just start from scratch on the QT? Would a raw shrimp be enough to cycle it?

Maybe I'll return the deco's and just get PVC. No one's going to see it anyway, but us.

Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds as though you either purchased or inherited an established display. Not knowing anything else about the display, I can't say what you should do with it regarding ich, other than removing all fish to q/t and letting it lie fallow for 6-8 weeks.

By "seed" I mean "to innoculate with bacteria". When considering what's happening in your nitrification cycle, what you're really doing is culturing two species of bacteria; one oxidizes ammonia to nitrite, the other oxidizes nitrite to nitrate. The raw shrimp would decompose and help "feed" these bacterial cultures you want. Yes, a small bit of raw shrimp is enough to start this culture.

Another concern is to be sure that, if you're planning on using this q/t for the animals (vertebrate) currently in the display, it is suitably large for them. 6-8 weeks is a long time to spend in a tank too small, and fish that may have been getting along just fine in one system may have some real tiffs in the q/t.

 

[Anonymous]

I have almost the exact same stuff for my quarantine tank.

20 gallon
Heater
airstone with small compressor
sponge filter

I filled mine with newly mixed water, then I add "Cycle" according to the directions on the bottle. I add a small bit of flake food right from the beginning.

This past time I also added a piece of Live Rock from my sump as I wanted a place for my bicolor blenny to hide. If I end up needing to dose Copper, I would take the rock out.

Just make sure you test the q-tank and only add fish after the cycle is complete. only took a week on mine

HTH
Bryan

 

[something_phishy]

I would love to put some LR in mine, but I don't want to transfer any of the ich. What if I used water from the original tank then just used copper to kill the ich before I put anything else in it? Would that work or not? I know I can't do that with the LR unless I want to "kill" it. Or woiuld it be better to just start fresh and use the "cycle" stuff?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

In your case, I would not add live rock from the tank

just do the cycle thing

you really should follow SM's advice and let the main go fallow with no fish for at least a month, that will get rid of your problems with ich

Bryan

 

[something_phishy]

I have a goby, naso tang (about 2in) kole tang(about 1.5 in) and a hippo tang(1"). I think they would get a little PO'd in the QT. Do you? I know if I don't do it I will always have ich in the tank though.

 

[Anonymous]

Phishy, it seems this tank couldn't have been set up very long to have these tangs together at these sizes. You could put them in that 20, but it would be a pinch. Honestly, I'd go buy a 30-40 gallon Rubbermaid container and use the heater and filtration on that.

Don't spend your money on "Cycle", don't put live rock in the q/t, especially if it's from an infected system.

DO NOT use the water from the display in which there is ich present. Even with coppering.. at that point, what's the point of using the q/t? You don't have to copper to kill the ich, you can let it lie fallow. At this juncture in time, for anyone to give you best advice for your situation we'd need to know more about the display setup as well, including whether or not there are inverts present.

Since the problem is with ich, I'd suggest using hyposalinity first, 1.010 is what you're aiming for.

 

[vair]

Seamaiden

I've read many of your Ich posts, thanks for all the advise. I have a question. With strict quarantine should a person technacially quarantine everything from rock to corals because could a 'bug,' not hitch hike on a piece of rock or coral?

thanks

dave

(sorry for the post highjacking)

 

[Anonymous]

Vair, you're welcome, although I don't think I'm anywhere nearly as knowledgeable as someone like Terry Bartelme.

To answer your question, yes, personally I believe everything should be quarantined, including live rock, corals, and other inverts. Anthony Calfo, whose experience with corals far exceeds my own, has many tales of woe to tell regarding those who didn't q/t corals. I like to make this a standard of practice for many other reasons as well (observation is not the least of them).

 

[vair]

Wow, that seems crazy, a lot of work and extra equipment?

dave

 

[something_phishy]

running for 4 years. Although, I don't know how long he had these particular fish in it. We bought the Naso ourselves and he's been in the tank for a week now and seems to be doing great(so far). We do have inverts and coral and LOTS of LR. We have some great corraline algae on alot of the rock and also on the back of the tank. Anyhow, I appreciate your advice. I'll use new water and throw a bit of shrimp in there to get it going. Any other thoughts?

Thanks again!

 

[Anonymous]

I guess it all depends on how you balance it: a bit of extra work and equipment (my own perspective is different on this) vs. crashing a system that took you years to craft.