Advice on building a quarantine tank

[sherb]

Hello all - I'm building out a 40B reef, and I'm reading up on the perils of ich in marine tanks. It sounds awful relative to the freshwater world where I never really had an issue with parasites and diseases.

From what I gather, best practice is to quarantine all new livestock for some number of weeks in a QT, which I don't have but I could get one set up.

Since I'll never have big fish in the 40, I'm assuming that a 20 gallon would be enough space for a QT?

A heater would be needed of course, and it's probably better to go bare-bottomed?

What about filtration? Would a simple HOB-style mech/bio filter be okay, or would I need a skimmer?

What else makes a good QT?

Thanks!

Tim

 

[Chrisz]

Following

 

[DrMMI]

I have a 260g tank and had a velvet outbreak. Learned my lesson to always quarantine everything wet. I use a 20g long tank, hob filter, heater, some pvc, a seachem ammonia badge, and wavemaker pointed at the surface to increase oxygen as a lot of the meds can lower oxygen levels. I usually keep a sponge filter or two in my sump to keep it seeded. Otherwise you can use bottled bacteria and keep a close eye on ammonia.

 

[DrMMI]

And don't use a skimmer as it will remove the medication. I make a mark on the tank where the water level is supposed to be and manually top off with fresh RO daily. If you want to get fancy, I guess you can use a cheap ato.

 

[sherb]

Thanks - that all makes sense. Keeping the filter material in the sump for seeding is a great idea, and I should know by now that a skimmer will remove meds. IIRC, carbon will do that to, so going with just plain filter media would be a better option.

From what I gather, some reefers routinely quarantine all new fish and inverts because the consequence of an outbreak in the main tank is so serious. Is that true?

 

[DrMMI]

Thanks - that all makes sense. Keeping the filter material in the sump for seeding is a great idea, and I should know by now that a skimmer will remove meds. IIRC, carbon will do that to, so going with just plain filter media would be a better option.

From what I gather, some reefers routinely quarantine all new fish and inverts because the consequence of an outbreak in the main tank is so serious. Is that true?

Yep, I learned the hard way. Some people like to roll the dice. I used to get a new fish, watch it in "quarantine" for 13 days to make sure it was eating and then into the display it went. New coral and inverts went right in. About 18 months after starting my tank, I had a velvet outbreak. Took all my fish out, treated them, and left the tank fallow for over 76 days.

I bought a bunch of coral from someone else in Oct and it's been sitting in a 55g tank without any fish. They'll be going into my display next week. The alternative is to buy fish/inverts from someone who pre-quarantines them for you, like TSM aquatics or Dr reef. Reef cleaners keeps them inverts in a fishless system.

 

[kenchilada]

Read the sticky threads in this forum, there’s a complete guide that covers it all.

HIGH - Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Stickies

My Current QT Process Ratios for Dosing Copper Power Uronema - Eradicate or Ignore? Hybrid TTM to treat all parasites! PSA: PRIME safe to use with COPPER POWER Medications to keep on hand Fallow periods: Going Fishless Difficult Fish to QT guide Ich eradication vs. Ich...

www.reef2reef.com

I like all of the humblefish articles. He’s very practical and is good at putting things in simple terms everyone can understand without a PhD in fish guts.

 

[Rickybobby]

Simple old school 30g with old school hood and light. One 150watt eheim heater. I had 2 hob bio wheel filters so I used both. Some cheap live rock which the fish love. It makes them feel at home and they can hide. Also I have a bubbler going and don’t care about salt creep. Super simple setup works great. My blue tang brought home ich and it seems after 1.5 weeks in copper we have beat it. Hopefully

 

[MPS]

When there’s nothing in the QT tank, do you keep it running or break it down?

 

[DrMMI]

When there’s nothing in the QT tank, do you keep it running or break it down?

I break mine down just because it's easier to store everything in the garage and wipe it out when I need it. I leave sponge filters in my sump so they're seeded and ready to go whenever I need them.

 

[mdb_talon]

Personally i leave my QT always running, but that probably because i cant stop from buying new fish/coral all the time.....

 

[Reef and Dive]

Simple tank. No lights. If temp acceptable not even heater. Hangon filter or pup or airstone.
Amonia alert.

14 days copper (0.25)
During that period 3 baths: 3min freshwater dip the formalin 60 min bath (0.15mL/L) in a bucket with airstone.
7 days observation.
Some PVC for fish to hide.
Amonia alert.

Prevents:
- Cryptocaryon
- Amyloodinium
- Brooklynella
- Uronema
- Flukes

Less fancy makes it less complicated and encourages people to do routinely.