QT Tank

[Reef lover24]

Question,
When setting up a QT tank leave it barebottom with nothing in it right? In the process of setting one up and I thought this was the way to do it. Can sand be put in or its better to leave bare bottom?
Thanks.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

leave the QT bare bottom unless you have sand dwellers.

 

[Reef lover24]

No rocks either right? Fish maybe in there up to 2 weeks maybe longer depending.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Well you can put a few rocks that are designated for qt use only. you want the fish to be able to hide and feel safe If not maybe a few big pc's of pvc

 

[Reef lover24]

Obviously not live rock im guessing since I most likely am going to be using copper.
Thanks man.

 

[lnevo]

Nothing you will ever put back in DT.

Make sure to get an anmonia badgd and take out uneaten food. Ammonia will be your enemy and standard tests wont work properly.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

No problem and best of luck.....

 

[Reef lover24]

Ammonia what? Never had to use copper before so we will see how it goes I guess. Taking out my high end clowns and treating them. if I loose other fish in the DT oh well... lol

 

[lnevo]

Ammonia badge. They stick on the tank and change color if the ammonia goes up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000255R5G?pc_redir=1402148028&robot_redir=1

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

If they are having itch and condition is not life threatening, try hypo first, you can add the 3-tanks method(at hypo level) if you have room and time. When using both method at once, the results are very good.

Copper method is fast but hard to control and generate tons of ammonia.

 

[KathyC]

Ammonia what? Never had to use copper before so we will see how it goes I guess. Taking out my high end clowns and treating them. if I loose other fish in the DT oh well... lol

If you are only treating your clowns, unless you are putting them into a different tank when you're done with the treatment, they will get Ich back again as it will still be in your DT.


If you don't care about your other fish, you might want to consider giving them to someone who might want to try and treat them..and then keep them...

 

[KathyC]

If they are having itch and condition is not life threatening, try hypo first, you can add the 3-tanks method(at hypo level) if you have room and time. When using both method at once, the results are very good.

Copper method is fast but hard to control and generate tons of ammonia.

I agree with Wingo, hypo is much easier on the fish than treating with copper.
Copper is also a pita between keeping the level correct - you must use a test kit and maintaining the tank ammonia free. It doesn't sound like you have the QT set up yet, so it won't be cycled.
IMO hypo would be the better choice.

 

[Reef lover24]

I honestly don't have the room. My QT tank is small so going to try it. Its not that I don't care about other fish its just I cant get them all out considering aquascape, corals and etc.. So that's the only reason. I am treating my actual DT tank but seems not to be doing much. After 15 day treatment I will do a 50% water change and go from there.

 

[Reef lover24]

I set up the QT today and used that nutri seawater

 

[KathyC]

I honestly don't have the room. My QT tank is small so going to try it. Its not that I don't care about other fish its just I cant get them all out considering aquascape, corals and etc.. So that's the only reason. I am treating my actual DT tank but seems not to be doing much. After 15 day treatment I will do a 50% water change and go from there.

I just read your other thread..unfortunately Kick- Ich does nothing


Do you have a lot of corals? One option if you can't get your fish out, is to take everything else out..corals, snails, critters and hypo your DT, but keeping in mind you will lose all pods & things in that family. You'd put your corals into another tank with the light over it, a heater and a pump for circulation. You might be able to borrow a tank from another member here. Worth a try. Wish I had one to loan you.

 

[Reef lover24]

I appreciate it Kathy. I am starting to realize that now. Wish I had more room to be able to do what I want to do but I just don't. Maybe the fish will overcome it, but if they don't its going to suck. I can only treat a select few and I am going to take care of my more expensive fish first, unfortunately that's how it is. Only my blue hippo shows the actual signs of the ich but once its in the water its in the water. I have a decent amount of inverts, and a decent amount of corals. It really does suck but I don't know what else to do.

 

[KathyC]

I appreciate it Kathy. I am starting to realize that now. Wish I had more room to be able to do what I want to do but I just don't. Maybe the fish will overcome it, but if they don't its going to suck. I can only treat a select few and I am going to take care of my more expensive fish first, unfortunately that's how it is. Only my blue hippo shows the actual signs of the ich but once its in the water its in the water. I have a decent amount of inverts, and a decent amount of corals. It really does suck but I don't know what else to do.

I hear you and Ich is one of the most frustrating things we deal with
It doesn't have to be a tank..it could be a big Rubbermaid tote too. Corals don't care.
Your fish don't need light, so you'd just need to come up with an extra heater & circulation pump (I could help with those). What you're going to pay for the Nuti-Sea water you could buy a big box of salt to keep up with the hypo treatment. You're stuck with whatever method you chose for 10 solid weeks.

If all of your fish don't get treated, you're right back where you started from. Fish don't overcome ich..it's a parasite, you either have it or you don't.


Sleep on it.

 

[Reef lover24]

It definitely is frustrating me right now and its in the early stages. I have been misinformed about so many different things from different places and most people say different things so its hard to figure out what to do.. I understand that, but then I would need a pump, filter and etc.. And what would I do with my inverts? I have live rock as well so I would not be able to dose the DT tank I would have to do the hypo treatment and im afraid I would not do it right anyways. I just don't know what to do at this point, besides my anemone is thriving and to move him would be a pain.. Ughh

 

[KathyC]

It definitely is frustrating me right now and its in the early stages. I have been misinformed about so many different things from different places and most people say different things so its hard to figure out what to do.. I understand that, but then I would need a pump, filter and etc.. And what would I do with my inverts? I have live rock as well so I would not be able to dose the DT tank I would have to do the hypo treatment and im afraid I would not do it right anyways. I just don't know what to do at this point, besides my anemone is thriving and to move him would be a pain.. Ughh

Yep, getting the correct info is the first battle, but you have it now. (DO ask any questions you have about the specifics of doing whatever treatment you do decide on!) You need water, salt and a refractometer to keep the salinity at the right level for hypo.


You can skip dosing the tank for awhile if you take the corals out. If you're worried about coralline & such, you can deal with that after your tank is back together. Getting rid of the Ich is a more important issue to deal with.


You don't need a filter. The corals just need heat, light & circulation. The light (what kid do you have anyway) can usually balance on the edges of the tote. The RBTA comes out of the tank on it's current rock. (That would be the only rock you move). No reason for him not to do as well as he is now. I would turn off the circulation pump when feeding him to make sure the food doesn't blow around ).
Put your frags on a rack made from egg-crate (stupidly simple). Your inverts go in with your corals. They are a heck of a lot easier to catch than fish

 

[Reef lover24]

Im running LED right now.. My torch corals and hammers will be alright too if I did that? I really appreciate the info Kathy. I do have a 12g that I was using as a QT I guess I can throw my corals in there and then treat the DT with hypo? I just don't know what to do. Or leave it as a QT and get a container for that? I am not sure how hypo works or what needs to be done.
I really appreciate the info and the help.