Do you Coral QT

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

I’m curious if any of you that qt are concerned about parameters? How do you maintain them?

Bump

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

I just do a weekly water change. This might be trickier with SPS, but with the softies it's pretty simple. They are growing, and reproducing. I do feed my crabs and snails daily, just a little bit of mysis or flakes. I am going to add some starfish, but I have to wait for my first qt batch to make it to the DT, or I will have to restart my 76 days again. Btw, I just have a small Fluval 13.5 kit, nothing special when it comes to lighting, but it's sufficient for the time being.

Im assuming your feeding keeps phosphate and nitrates up. Do you test these ?

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Do you cycle your qt tanks ? (Fishless system)

 

[Reefing102]

I’m curious if any of you that qt are concerned about parameters? How do you maintain them?

Do you test your QT parameters ? I would assume your corals need some nutrients

The only thing I test is salinity. It gets a monthly water change. No dosing or anything like that. I broadcast feed reefroids every now and then but that’s about it.

 

[Spare time]

Yes. The corals get a dip and removal of the frag plug or the frag plug (as well as the skeletons of lps) get a hydrogen peroxide scrub after the dip. Next they go into a bare 10 gallon tank for 45 days at 81F. They get inspected daily but only taken out if I see something on them or in the tank. After this period, I repeat the first process. Last time I used a spare mini uv sterilizer in the coral QT (a green killing machine). I dose all for reef and coral food into the tank during the QT, or do small water changes every now and then. I did add some bacteria in last time too (a small thing of mb7 and another time a small thing of dr tims). How important this is to add the bacteria idk but oh well.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Im assuming your feeding keeps phosphate and nitrates up. Do you test these ?

I change water weekly, about 20% or so. I do test it, but not regularly, and kinda measure it by the eye. If everything looks happy, I don't tinker with anything, but change the water regardless.

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

The only thing I test is salinity. It gets a monthly water change. No dosing or anything like that. I broadcast feed reefroids every now and then but that’s about it.

Simple approach, awesome. Do you keep your tank up and running ?

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

I did add some bacteria in last time too (a small thing of mb7 and another time a small thing of dr tims). How important this is to add the bacteria idk but oh well.

I wouldn’t know either, that’s how I’ve gotten fish through QT in the past, why not corals am I right ?

Any body have any input on this ?

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

I change water weekly, about 20% or so. I do test it, but not regularly, and kinda measure it by the eye. If everything looks happy, I don't tinker with anything, but change the water regardless.

A good water change seems to help with a lot of issues in the hobby, of course not all but most ! I like the simple approach !

 

[Reefing102]

Simple approach, awesome. Do you keep your tank up and running ?

Yes, it stays up and running. Only thing is if no corals are in it, the light gets shut off

 

[Spare time]

I wouldn’t know either, that’s how I’ve gotten fish through QT in the past, why not corals am I right ?

Any body have any input on this ?

Randy talks about how cycling bacteria can compete with corals for ammonia, but I figure you can use the QT for other organisms that are not fish and so it would be beneficial. I like to QT things in bulk.

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Yes, it stays up and running. Only thing is if no corals are in it, the light gets shut off

Good way to keep light lifespan extended. Any pics of the setup?

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Randy talks about how cycling bacteria can compete with corals for ammonia, but I figure you can use the QT for other organisms that are not fish and so it would be beneficial. I like to QT things in bulk.

As for my understanding, corals use nitrate and phosphates. Do they also consume ammonia? Is there an article on this?

 

[EricR]

As for my understanding, corals use nitrate and phosphates. Do they also consume ammonia? Is there an article on this?

Ammonia Dosing

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Let’s say one is setting up a coral QT. For this instance let’s talk about LPS and softies

I would set up the QT as such

- 10 gallon breeder (great size tank, not too big, not too small)
- Heater
- ATO ( i believe this is a must )
- Lighting
- HOB filter (I’d run filter floss and carbon for water clarity)
- small power head or two (flow)

As for major equipment, this is what I would use.

For those with bigger tanks, I would used my tanks WC water (which contains phosphates and nitrate already, assuming your parameters are in check in your DT)

I’m a nano, I would WC using freshwater (50% each week) and feed my corals every now and then to keep nutrients up

Would this be the simple way you guys would run a QT

 

[Angel_V_the_reefer]

Ammonia Dosing

I really like the idea of dosing ammonia rather than nitrate or phosphate. I would assume coral foods could be a way to keep your nutrients up

Ammonia dosing could be a way to have a ‘pure’ source of ammonia such as ammonium chloride in order to keep your phosphates and nitrates up.

Supposedly, testing ammonia isnt very reliable when looking to test how much has been added to a tank. I wouldn’t know if a test would read ammonia or not, something about free ammonia I water bla bla bla…

I guess testing nitrates or phosphates testing would be an easier way to measure if you have a healthy amount of ammonia

Honestly, I wouldn’t be testing in my coral QT

 

[silent1mezzo]

Fragbox or Candy coral.
But corals cannot be exported outside Canada.
I pick them out myself.

heh, I see we have the same coral shops. I wish fragbox was a little closer to me.

 

[Uncle99]

heh, I see we have the same coral shops. I wish fragbox was a little closer to me.

Have you ever tried Big Show Frags in Stoney creek about 25-30 minutes from you?

 

[Spare time]

As for my understanding, corals use nitrate and phosphates. Do they also consume ammonia? Is there an article on this?

From my understanding ammonia is preferable. Randy has a few posts on here about it.

 

[Spare time]

I really like the idea of dosing ammonia rather than nitrate or phosphate. I would assume coral foods could be a way to keep your nutrients up

Ammonia dosing could be a way to have a ‘pure’ source of ammonia such as ammonium chloride in order to keep your phosphates and nitrates up.

Supposedly, testing ammonia isnt very reliable when looking to test how much has been added to a tank. I wouldn’t know if a test would read ammonia or not, something about free ammonia I water bla bla bla…

I guess testing nitrates or phosphates testing would be an easier way to measure if you have a healthy amount of ammonia

Honestly, I wouldn’t be testing in my coral QT

Keep in mind that the corals still need phosphate and ammonia dosing doesn't substitute it.