Quarantine questions.

[tyler1503]

I'm a bit confused as to how quarantine tanks are supposed I work. I've never run one and no one I know personally ever has either. But before I get into what I don't understand, I want to say that I DO understand the importance of WHY to keep one.
I know some people quarantine new friends for anywhere up to a few months and I often hear these same people say that they only set up the quarantine when they get something new. I've also seen pics of quarantine tanks and all it is, is a glass box filled with salt water, a heater, a powerhead and a light.
So the part I don't understand is where is the biological filtration? How aren't these fish, corals or inverts etc being killed or at the very least affected by ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spikes? Are very very large water changes done daily or more? That seems incredibly wasteful.
This might seem like a silly thing to wonder and I'm sure it's a very simple and logical explanation that I'm just not seeing even though it's probably completely obvious. But I just don't see how a fish can live in a tiny little box for weeks or months without biological filtration.

 

[JHill9]

I use a 20g long (my DT is 58g so my fish are never that large) for my QT and use a HOB filter. Keep the HOB media in the sump of the display tank so it is ready to go when needed. When I need the QT I pull out the media, set everything up and fill the QT from the display tank during a water change. Then when you are done throw away the media because you put a new HOB media in the sump of the display.

 

[Spendley]

How long is recommended to QT? I have heard from 2 weeks to 2 months. I recently bought a 20L (also small dt) that I intend to use as a QT. For a water change; could you just use the discarded water from your dt during a regular water change?

 

[JHill9]

I use water from the DT water changes to do water changes in QT. But it also depends on if you are treating in your QT on if you want to do a water change or not.

You will get lots of opinions on Time. I would do 2 months just to be safe but that is me. You are planning on owning the fish for many years so why rush a week or 2 if the fish is living well in the QT.

 

[Mike&Terry]

Here is a link to a great writeup on setting up a fish QT:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/sa...roper-quarantine-your-fish-cheetofingers.html

 

[3dees]

you will get many opinions on qt's. my 20 gal. has a heater, a small powerhead, and an aquaclear hob filter. plus a few pvc elbows. cycle the tank like any other tank. I observe for a few days to make sure the fish is eating. I do a round of prazi pro. then do a wc and observe for two more weeks. if I have a tang I will do cupramine. yeah, some people will go two months or longer, but imo, that's overkill.