Quarantine tanks

[JGoslee]

So, I"m planning to start up a quarantine tank using a 40B to treat my current fish before they go into my current tank. I currently have an older Marineland Emperor 280, so I'll probably either use this or buy a better/newer one. These are the steps I'll be taking, please let me know if you think something should be changed.

1. Fill tank with current tank water
2. Use some live rock from current tank into the new quarantine tank for bio filtration and hiding spots for fish
3. Use HOB filter with its filter and use BRS reactor for carbon
4. Use a Powerhead in the quarantine tank
5. Put in fish
6. After they are use to the new environment, add PraziPro and Cupramine to treat fish.
7. Do 10 gal water changes weekly
8. Move fish into new environment
9. Use acclimation box for new additions.

You don't want to add any live rock to your quarantine tank. Any meds you add to the tank will permanently contaminate the rock and most likely kill all the life. Just use water changes to maintain water quality.

I like to use large PVC fittings for hiding places for the fish.

 

[btkrausen]

You don't want to add any live rock to your quarantine tank. Any meds you add to the tank will permanently contaminate the rock and most likely kill all the life. Just use water changes to maintain water quality.

I like to use large PVC fittings for hiding places for the fish.

Thanks. This live rock would likely be thrown out after I'm done with it, as a lot of my rock is covered with bubble algae anyway. I mostly wanted to put it in for hiding, but I can go pick up a bunch of elbows and such. Most of my fish are wrasses, so they like a nice hiding spot to sleep

How about sand, should I use in the qt tank?

 

[jessikarabbit]

Hopefully someone will reply. This thread seems to of went inactive awhile ago..

We currently do not have a QT tank setup, and not really sure where we would be able to house it, but it seems like it is a necessity. We have a very small 1 gal nano that only houses some LR and a few corals. If we take everything out of there, sand included, would that still be too small for a QT? Whats the minimum size you can have?
Also, If I add water from my DT to my QT, and dont have any LS or LR, will it have to go through a cycling phasE? All of our previous fish have been drip acclimated, and then placed in the tank with no issues, but now that we just got this flamefin tang, Im worried.

 

[Kheebl]

1 gal nano is pretty small qt tank. I have found a 20L tank works great for a QT. just use a hob filter a heater and some PVC pipe for hiding places. You can use a small powerhead if you have one but not necessary. I usually keep my qt full of water so it is ready when needed, but a lot of people will just fill the qt with water from display tank, that is what I do if I ever drain qt and refill. I do use new SW when I do water changes on qt.

 

[Quinn123]

Could someone tell me where I can order one of those acclimation box, thanks

 

[Mike&Terry]

Could someone tell me where I can order one of those acclimation box, thanks

4coral is no longer in business.

We purchased a custom box (we wanted a larger size than the two they stock) from Elite Aquatics

You might also want to look at the Reef Gently acclimation boxes

 

[jessikarabbit]

We may have a 10 gal under the house. He definitely has ich I've heard mixed reviews on the garlic, but feel it couldn't hurt to try. If we use our tanks salt water, will it still have to cycle?

 

[Squishie89]

We may have a 10 gal under the house. He definitely has ich I've heard mixed reviews on the garlic, but feel it couldn't hurt to try. If we use our tanks salt water, will it still have to cycle?

No it should not. The tank will still need a heater and some sort of water mover (could be a powerhead or a hang on back filter)

 

[J062682l]

Garlic only helps to boost the immune system , it's good to do and will help the fish survive but won't really cure!

 

[Bthomas]

would it be possible to keep a quarantine tank up and running and cycled at all times without keeping fish in it? If so how would u do such a thing?
the tank im currently setting up is a 30 gallon and i have an old 29 gallon aquarium i could use as a quarantine but i wouldnt be able to drain 29 gallons out of my DT to set up the quarantine when its needed so im not sure how to go about using one.

 

[Squishie89]

would it be possible to keep a quarantine tank up and running and cycled at all times without keeping fish in it? If so how would u do such a thing?
the tank im currently setting up is a 30 gallon and i have an old 29 gallon aquarium i could use as a quarantine but i wouldnt be able to drain 29 gallons out of my DT to set up the quarantine when its needed so im not sure how to go about using one.

Yes you can. You can put in a small pinch of pellet or flake food probably twice too once a week. You can always use freshly mixed saltwater and put some sponges for a hang on back filter in your sump, and when you need them, they will have the bacteria in/on them. I have more on that in my quarantine guide linked in my signature.

 

[Cjsanders757]

Gonna use a 40 long I have sitting aroun as my qt. would a filter on both sides be enough for a setup?

 

[Quinn123]

where did you order your acclimation box, i need one, thanks

 

[studioac]

Good advice Stunreefer and Kamel. I want your opinion on one issue. I have set up a QT tank using a 29 gallon tank that I previously used for freshwater fish. No substrate. Hang on the back filter with cycled with bio balls from DT sump. I do use carbon biobags to keep the water clear. It's been running for a couple of months now and I have had no problems. I took the advice of my (very good) LFS and keep a single damsel in there all the time. I don't mind because he was a bully and had to be isolated anyway, but I am wondering whether it is really necessary to keep a fish in the QT all the time. I haven't read anywhere else that this is the way to do it, but my LFS guys swear by it. When I add a new fish I put the damsel in an isolation box. So far lost one fish in QT but the damsel survives. Any thoughts?

 

[Squishie89]

Good advice Stunreefer and Kamel. I want your opinion on one issue. I have set up a QT tank using a 29 gallon tank that I previously used for freshwater fish. No substrate. Hang on the back filter with cycled with bio balls from DT sump. I do use carbon biobags to keep the water clear. It's been running for a couple of months now and I have had no problems. I took the advice of my (very good) LFS and keep a single damsel in there all the time. I don't mind because he was a bully and had to be isolated anyway, but I am wondering whether it is really necessary to keep a fish in the QT all the time. I haven't read anywhere else that this is the way to do it, but my LFS guys swear by it. When I add a new fish I put the damsel in an isolation box. So far lost one fish in QT but the damsel survives. Any thoughts?

I would not advise keeping a fish in quarantine at all times. As far as I am concerned this is just asking for trouble, your damsel could get infected from a new fish and if you treat you have to treat 2 fish. You can just ghost feed to keep the tank running and do a water change every now and then (and suck up the food). But really you don't even need to do that, if you keep the bio-balls in your DT sump, you can just pull them out when you need them.

As to why your new fish died; was he eating? Any obvious problems?

 

[Squishie89]

Gonna use a 40 long I have sitting aroun as my qt. would a filter on both sides be enough for a setup?

Do you mean 2 hang on back filters? Why would you use two? I am a bit confused as to the question here.

 

[Cjsanders757]

Do you mean 2 hang on back filters? Why would you use two? I am a bit confused as to the question here.

Yes a filter on both sides for movement. And so I can use different media.

 

[studioac]

I would not advise keeping a fish in quarantine at all times. As far as I am concerned this is just asking for trouble, your damsel could get infected from a new fish and if you treat you have to treat 2 fish. You can just ghost feed to keep the tank running and do a water change every now and then (and suck up the food). But really you don't even need to do that, if you keep the bio-balls in your DT sump, you can just pull them out when you need them.

Please clarify something for me--let's say I started with an empty QT tank and wanted to get a new fish. If I fill the tank with water from DT and add bio-balls (or filter pad) from sump and start up the filter on the QT, I'm good to go? The tank doesn't need a break-in period? The worst thing to do would be to put an expensive fish in a QT tank that was less safe than the DT. That's why I prefer to run the QT all the time, but at some point if I have to use medication, I might want to break it down and give it a thorough cleaning and then start over.

 

[Squishie89]

Yes a filter on both sides for movement. And so I can use different media.

I guess you can do that, don't see why not. However depending on what filters you are using and what fish you are QTing you may need to add a powerhead to provide some heavier flow as a 40 breeder is quite long.

Please clarify something for me--let's say I started with an empty QT tank and wanted to get a new fish. If I fill the tank with water from DT and add bio-balls (or filter pad) from sump and start up the filter on the QT, I'm good to go? The tank doesn't need a break-in period? The worst thing to do would be to put an expensive fish in a QT tank that was less safe than the DT. That's why I prefer to run the QT all the time, but at some point if I have to use medication, I might want to break it down and give it a thorough cleaning and then start over.

Yes you should be (roughly). Obviously you cannot just add like 3 bioballs. I actually would recommend sponges, but that is me. I would not suggest throwing in a fish the same day you set up the QT just to be sure there is no ammonia. I like adding some bacteria just to help things settle. You do have to keep a close eye on ammonia as your only filtration is those bioballs/sponges, so remove any uneaten food after each feeding and perform water changes as needed.

 

[Sleeperr34]

Question on the qt tanks. Im in the plans of turning one of my rooms in my house into a wet room. And in it im going to have my reef tank that i love. And turn my 210 in the living room into a fish only for the fish my gf loves ( the mean little guys triggers etc ). Will be doing a qt system in the we room and wanting some advice.

With qt systems i know not to plumb it into my main system because of medications that will be used. But do i keep the system up and running with water even without fish being treated? Maybe like keep a chromis in it to keep it cycled?

And for the second type of qt the one to be used for getting the fish used to captive life. I was thinking about having that one plumbed into my main system. And keep it empty of fish. Just so it would have good water quality same as my system. As well as a good natural organisms in it for more challenging fish like leopards to be able to feed on.


Do what will make you happy.