Multiple QT

rayn · Dec 19, 2015

@Humblefish , I stumbled onto your QT do and don't and read through it. Really liked your thread. Actually made me adopt part of it and now have a fish QT and am setting a coral QT.

Main questions I have is on the coral QT. 72 days is what you recommended and I can adhere to that, but wouldn't that mean basically loading the tank and waiting? Adding another coral half way through would restart the clock per say.

Is a skimmer needed?

What about lighting?

Does it have to be fish less? If, reading through a few posts, fish poop is really the best food...wouldn't it be best to have 1 maybe 2 fish in there?

Does it need live rock? Or is the base of certain corals enough to combat the slim bioload from corals?

Humblefish · Dec 19, 2015

rayn said:
72 days is what you recommended and I can adhere to that, but wouldn't that mean basically loading the tank and waiting? Adding another coral half way through would restart the clock per say.

Not necessarily. 72 days is the countdown for theronts (free swimmers) to be released from the tomonts (embedded on the coral/invert). After 72 days, the "parasite eggs" should all be gone. Now it's always possible a free swimmer could be present in a droplet of water on the coral/invert - especially if you have introduced another coral/invert to the QT halfway through, as you said. However, this threat can be neutralized by simply pouring some DT water over the coral/invert before placing in your tank. Theronts cannot "stick" like tomonts can, so they are easily "washed away" by clean, parasite free SW.

rayn said:
Is a skimmer needed?

Helpful but not absolutely necessary. You can get the QT going and then wait until you see a cheap, second hand HOB skimmer on sale.

rayn said:
What about lighting?

I use a cheap 4 bulb T5 fixture. Like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/251493292913

That should be sufficient for softies/LPS. You might need something better (i.e. LEDs) for light demanding SPS like acroporas.

rayn said:
Does it have to be fish less? If, reading through a few posts, fish poop is really the best food...wouldn't it be best to have 1 maybe 2 fish in there?

A coral/invert QT MUST be fishless. Denying the parasites a fish host to feed upon is how you interrupt it's life cycle and it ends. Otherwise, tomonts could always be present on the coral/invert you are trying to QT because the fish serves as the host, trophonts feed and then drop off to form new tomonts on your corals/inverts.

rayn said:
Does it need live rock? Or is the base of certain corals enough to combat the slim bioload from corals?

It would be best to at least have a small amount of LR to process any ammonia; corals/inverts produce waste too. Pic of my personal coral/invert QT below.

rayn · Dec 19, 2015

Awesome, thanks for the reply. I guess I am mixing coral QT and coral grow out. You are referring to, my guessing, the stages of ich. I understand the need to be fish less in that aspect of things.

I think I am about set then. I am planning on getting into sps and want them to go through the QT process, so a slightly better light is what I had planned. Thinking along the lines of a hydra 26.

Your QT almost looks like another nano red tank!

Humblefish · Dec 19, 2015

Yeah, mine is strictly to protect my DT from fish and coral diseases on new coral/invert purchases. Also, make sure you house all QTs at least 10 feet away from your DT and from one another.

If you just wanted to do a grow out tank using established corals, you can add fish to it, ignore the 10 foot rule, even plumb it directly into the DT if you want.

rayn · Dec 19, 2015

Awe dang it. Why the 10 foot rule?

Humblefish · Dec 19, 2015

rayn said:
Awe dang it. Why the 10 foot rule?

Aerosol transmission: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/aerosol-transmission.190292/

melypr1985 · Dec 19, 2015

rayn said:
Awe dang it. Why the 10 foot rule?

lol.. Just bursting every bubble you get going! The 10 foot rule is my biggest challenge in my small house. I feel your pain

Humblefish · Dec 19, 2015

I will say this for those who choose to skirt the 10 foot rule: air flow is crucial. A vent or fan blowing from your QT toward the DT is a very bad thing. But if you can position air flow to blow away from your DT instead, that might prove useful.

Also, if you are going to violate the 10 foot rule don't use an air stone or anything else which "disturbs" the water in QT too much.

No guarantees of course, but it's better than doing nothing.

rayn · Dec 19, 2015

Well while I am not limited on room per say, I didn't want to take up 30+ feet to do this. As I am building my display, I set up my QT for fish about 3 feet away and my coral QT right next to it! I mean sheesh, couldn't be any closer together then what I did. Never even thought about water spray infecting other tanks like that.

melypr1985 · Dec 19, 2015

Humblefish said:
I will say this for those who choose to skirt the 10 foot rule: air flow is crucial. A vent or fan blowing from your QT toward the DT is a very bad thing. But if you can position air flow to blow away from your DT instead, that might prove useful.

No guarantees of course, but it's better than doing nothing.

That's lucky, cause our air vent happens to be above our DT and blows towards the QT. Maybe it helped me out! Now that the QT is officially empty, I can start my search for a better spot.