Need advice on setting up invert QT

[rmorris_14]

I’m looking to beef up my CUC. I acquired my tank and it’s contents second hand. We have been battling GHA. It’s looking much better with frequent water changes, manual removal, and dosing 1 a week with vibrant but we definitely need to get more snails and possible hermits. I also plan on adding soft corals once we get it more stable. This leads me to setting up a QT tank for my new CUC and future soft corals

I don’t want to spend a ton of money.......

Would a 10 gallon with LED hood lights and HOB filter, and heater be sufficient? Something like this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/aqueon-led-10-gallon-aquarium-kit

Or should I go larger? And try to piece it together myself?

Do I need to put sand in it for the snails

How do I go about cycling the tank? Would adding few media balls and water from my DT be enough to get it going?

TYIA for any guidance /advice or pictures of your coral/invert QT tanks you can share.

 

[Sshannon]

Interested...

 

[Jmcg89]

I run a 20 gallon long for snails and corals, I have a black box led I had on hand that I use just because im doing coral in there also. I use a cheap Amazon power head and heater and that's all. I took some rocks and marine pure balls from my sump and put those in there with a frag rack. No sand, I haven't done any Nass snails or anything like that just trochus, astrea and ceriths. Just put a batch into my display.
Works great so far!

 

[Jmcg89]

Excuse the dirty glass but I try to keep the alage growing for the next batch!
I put some pellets or algae wafers in there from time to time to keep the nutrients up.

 

[Jmcg89]

I think I added some microbacter start also when I first started it but I'd imagine cycled media would be enough.

 

[rmorris_14]

Thanks!! I would like to add some Nass snails to my CUC so I would assume I would have to put sand in the bottom? Or maybe a dish with sand in it be sufficient?
I’m torn between running it all the time (which would be caring for a second tank) or just setting up only as needed.

 

[Sshannon]

Do you run any treatments for quarantine?

 

[Jmcg89]

Do you run any treatments for quarantine?

I'll dip some corals but nothing besides that for inverts or corals.

 

[Jmcg89]

Thanks!! I would like to add some Nass snails to my CUC so I would assume I would have to put sand in the bottom? Or maybe a dish with sand in it be sufficient?
I’m torn between running it all the time (which would be caring for a second tank) or just setting up only as needed.

Yea a dish of sand might work I havent tried that yet. I leave mine running in a spare bedroom and it's not bad at all, small water change when I do my display and just throw some food in now and then, I also add water mannually for top off which is really it.

 

[rmorris_14]

Bumping to see if anyone else has any QT tank ideas to share.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Those aquarium kits are a waste of money and the hood lights are garbage. If you plan on putting any frags in the tank you will need a better light. You have the right idea, but I would recommend just getting a regular 10 gallon tank, an aquaclear 50 HOB and an actual LED bar light. Aragalive substrate from petco will instantly cycle the tank. It just takes a few days to settle though. The fine sand version for an invert tank.

No need for an expensive reef light. This one is technically a planted tank light but has good actinic blue mode. It would be good for most LPS or even SPS if high enough on a rock. my BTA is thriving under it at ground level.

 

[rmorris_14]

Thanks! I actually had the same thought about the kit and the light that comes with it. When I started piecing one out individually the price obviously was more, so I started looking at other tanks... I decided to go with the fluval 13.5 because I think I can set up the chambers similar to my biocube and then only have to buy one kind of media.. I picked it up last night and started brainstorming... it’s not going to be as easy as I thought. I either need to now purchase an in tank media rack with is another $60. Or figure out how to DIY one out of egg crate. I’m leaning toward the second option to keep costs low.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Thanks! I actually had the same thought about the kit and the light that comes with it. When I started piecing one out individually the price obviously was more, so I started looking at other tanks... I decided to go with the fluval 13.5 because I think I can set up the chambers similar to my biocube and then only have to buy one kind of media.. I picked it up last night and started brainstorming... it’s not going to be as easy as I thought. I either need to now purchase an in tank media rack with is another $60. Or figure out how to DIY one out of egg crate. I’m leaning toward the second option to keep costs low.

A media rack is overkill for an invert QT tank. All you really need is some live rock or live substrate and a simple sponge filter. I have even been running a small frag tank for a year now with no filtration whatsoever.