Let me see your filthy neglected quarantine tanks!

[Leaellynasaura]

I am going to try and clean mine tonight. They are easy to neglect when your tank is full of coral and you have no new acquisitions in the last 6 months.

 

[AZMSGT]

@Sisterlimonpot this post is for you.. LOL

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

My QT doesn't get the same attention as the main tank, and nor should it. As long as I have a portal of clean glass and can view the fish inside, all is good.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Somewhere there is a yellow tang fist sized in there and a purple colored damsel.

The yellow tang i saved from starvation like skin and bones and then massive ich infestation then he had horrible lymphocystis.

Hes all healthy and fat now.. but sadly a friend gave me his yellow tang well imo i rescued it and its in my 135g... This yellow tang in my qt was ment to go in the 135... but i cant put em together.. the one my friend gave me is super aggressive..

So for now i keep him in my 20g QT.. not sure what to do with him... I have 30g 36 inch breeder reef tank.. and i might just put him in that.. it is a foot longer and that tank i do keep clean lol.

Despite the dirty glass ect this water is clean

 

[seahorse_man]

Dirty, poorly setup quarantine tanks can sometimes cause more issues than not quarantining at all.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

algae on the glass doesnt mean its dirty lol. My maint tank gets a film of algae on the glass in 3 or 4 days if i dont clean the glass. I just dont feel like cleaning the glass on this tank every 3 days

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Dirty, poorly setup quarantine tanks can sometimes cause more issues than not quarantining at all.

Can you elaborate on that?

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Geesh after looking at these i might just set up a qt tank. I never have because i have always thought you have to keep maintenance up on it. I didnt want two tanks to take care of.

 

[seahorse_man]

Can you elaborate on that?

The short version is some QT setups can be very stressful (neglected, dirty water, too small, nowhere to hide, etc.) and can cause enough stress that does more harm than good and makes an otherwise healthy fish sick.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I agree with places to hide and the QT needs to be adequate size to accommodate the fish, I was focusing on the dirty part, I guess dirty is subjective, high N and P isn't much of an issue for fish, and they need to be quite high to stress them out.

I don't agree with a QT having sand like some of the pictures, that can lead to a lot of absorption and leaching problems down the line but a dirty QT isn't something I would concern myself with when thinking about stresses on a fish.

 

[seahorse_man]

I agree with places to hide and the QT needs to be adequate size to accommodate the fish, I was focusing on the dirty part, I guess dirty is subjective, high N and P isn't much of an issue for fish, and they need to be quite high to stress them out.

I don't agree with a QT having sand like some of the pictures, that can lead to a lot of absorption and leaching problems down the line but a dirty QT isn't something I would concern myself with when thinking about stresses on a fish.

Sand should not be in a QT tank. I use the term dirty in the way it would have a negative effect on the fish. Not disorganized with some algae, but harmfully dirty and or stressful. Ammonia is one way "dirty" can be harmful.

There are always pathegoens present. Stress and a weak immune system is what "brings them out."

 

[Hermie]

Sand should not be in a QT tank.

Depends on what your goal is with the Quarantine tank. Many people would agree (IMO) that having a reflective bottom on a tank will be stressful to a fish, and that substrate helps a fish remain calm and peaceful while under observation.

 

[seahorse_man]

Depends on what your goal is with the Quarantine tank. Many people would agree (IMO) that having a reflective bottom on a tank will be stressful to a fish, and that substrate helps a fish remain calm and peaceful while under observation.

Sand and medication often used in a QT don't mix too well or could give a place for unwanted parasites to live. I never said anything about leaving it reflective. You would paint the bottom of the tank black, which is often a technique for keeping seahorses in a BB. Nice and stress free. Starboard could be used as well, I know some people like that.

 

[Hermie]

Sand and medication often used in a QT don't mix too well or could give a place for unwanted parasites to live. I never said anything about leaving it reflective. You would paint the bottom of the tank black, which is often a technique for keeping seahorses in a BB. Nice and stress free. Starboard could be used as well, I know some people like that.

It seems like there's a general discord aroudn definitions in this thread, "QT" "Dirty" etc

Your points are valid, it's just that not all people use medications in QT

 

[Hemmdog]

Coral qt

 

[seahorse_man]

It seems like there's a general discord aroudn definitions in this thread, "QT" "Dirty" etc

Your points are valid, it's just that not all people use medications in QT

As with everything in this hobby, nothing is a once size fits all and we all have our own ways. If it's a fish only QT running some medication is pretty common. Some just observe though not medicated, or perhaps with a lower salinity. With that said, it's always nice to have a tank you CAN medicate if needed (if you have fish). A QT tank for somebody else could mean it's just for corals/inverts, in which case you would of course not be running medications....and hiding places/reflective bottoms wouldn't matter either.

 

[MTBake]

My qt has been turned into my mantis tank. It's where all my unwanted livestock goes. I have a bristle worm around a foot long in there as well.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Depends on what your goal is with the Quarantine tank. Many people would agree (IMO) that having a reflective bottom on a tank will be stressful to a fish, and that substrate helps a fish remain calm and peaceful while under observation.

I realize this is getting off track. From the perspective of the fish, they don't see a reflection. From the perspective of the viewer we see reflection because of refraction. I wouldn't be using sand based on that assumption.

 

[Hermie]

I realize this is getting off track. From the perspective of the fish, they don't see a reflection. From the perspective of the viewer we see reflection because of refraction. I wouldn't be using sand based on that assumption.

Whether or not a fish sees a reflection or not, my point is that they are stressed by the non-substrate bottom. At least the fish that I've had in a QT, Monodactylus Sebae and Dichotomyctere Nigroviridis. So to be fair, do you disagree with that?