Prime and Paracleanse

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello, Ive got a spare 20g for qt but havent used it, besides for a temp goldfish setup. I have a fluval hob filter and i plan on using that for when qt time comes. Should I just keep the sponge in my sump when not in use? IF so how do i sterlize post qt and get it back in dt? or do i just toss media .

Thank you

No need to sterilize the media *IF* you moved fish from the QT to the DT, those would have moved any disease themselves, and if they are clean, so will be the media. The only time I sterilize filter media in a QT is when I had an uncontrolled disease, something that killed all of the fish. Then, I don't want anything from that QT to return to the DT, so I would sterilize everything. I've only had this happen once in 20 years - a suspected viral disease wiped out a tank of killifish, so I sterilized the tank,

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

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[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hello, Ive got a spare 20g for qt but havent used it, besides for a temp goldfish setup. I have a fluval hob filter and i plan on using that for when qt time comes. Should I just keep the sponge in my sump when not in use? IF so how do i sterlize post qt and get it back in dt? or do i just toss media .

Thank you

If you are using copper in the qt, do not return the sponge to the dt.

Edit: see Jay's reply below.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

If you are using copper in the qt, do not return the sponge to the dt.

If they are following our QT protocol, there won't be any appreciable copper left on the sponge at the end of the process. If they pull it straight from a tank with copper in it, they should rinse it in clean seawater before returning it to the DT. Copper doesn't strongly adhere to inert material, only calcium based materials that tend to absorb it.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If they are following our QT protocol, there won't be any appreciable copper left on the sponge at the end of the process. If they pull it straight from a tank with copper in it, they should rinse it in clean seawater before returning it to the DT. Copper doesn't strongly adhere to inert material, only calcium based materials that tend to absorb it.

Thank you for that! I was under the impression that it's a no-no to put anything from a copper tank into the dt.

So are the folks that say never to use a former qt as a home for inverts overreacting?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for that! I was under the impression that it's a no-no to put anything from a copper tank into the dt.

So are the folks that say never to use a former qt as a home for inverts overreacting?

Well - as long as the tank has no calcium-based material in it, and has had all the water changed and been rinsed in clean seawater, it will be safe for invertebrates. The real danger is when copper absorbs (or adsorbs?) onto calcareous material - that can then release back into the water at a later date, harming the invertebrates.

The main thing I'm trying to avoid is this idea that you must "nuke" your QT after every run - if you moved fish out, then you've already moved any disease that was still lurking in the QT. I'm also trying to avoid those issues where people set up a QT without a good biofilter, and then lose fish to ammonia issues.

 

[geko522]

I apologize if I've come across as combative - that's not my intent. 14 days may or may not work (according to Jay, it doesn't, and he's been a marine disease expert for several years, so I do lend that some weight), but I guess I would personally take the approach of "better safe than sorry" with a tank full of fish.

If you feel comfortable running just 14 days, then you can; all I'm saying is the recommended 30 days would be safer.

Ok, sounds good. Thanks for pointing this out. I will definitely take it all in consideration. Appreciate it!