Need is a strong word...
Most here say yes.
More necessary if you have large tanks or lotsa reef inverts that could be harmed by treatment.
All that is need is a small tank (filled with water from water changes on the main tank if possible, so that conditions are as close as possible) a filter or powerhead for circulation, a heater, and some PVC pieces for shelter. No sand or Live rock necessary if you can bring in "good" critters via other means.
The bio filtration can be done by keeping a sponge filter in the sump of the main tank that will later be used in the QT (or some other media or LR will work well too!)
After that nutrient export can be accomplished by waterchanges.
So basically it is a way to prevent the new livestock with infecting the existing ones with any disease from the LFS?
How long do I leave the new livestock in the QT? What should I be looking for that might not be apparent in the tank at the LFS? Do you put corals in a QT? How about clams? Should I be reading up on QTs instead of asking all these questions first?
So basically it is a way to prevent the new livestock with infecting the existing ones with any disease from the LFS?
How long do I leave the new livestock in the QT? What should I be looking for that might not be apparent in the tank at the LFS? Do you put corals in a QT? How about clams? Should I be reading up on QTs instead of asking all these questions first?
In addition to protecting your other livestock as you mentioned, it's a good chance to adjust the fish to what you would like to feed it if it's used to something else.
You should be reading up on them *and* asking here. I've quarantined corals before, but just for a few days so I could more carefully inspect them for parasites. I'm too concerned about the water/lighting/etc in a quarantine tank to keep a coral there for very long.
I've never kept clams, but I imagine it would be similar.
For most it is too expensice to have a sutable lighting system for keeping corals/clams in a QT, and if you did have sutable lights, I bet it would not stay a QT for long!
