Quarantine tank setup

[Balanje]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this so apologies if not...

I recently upgraded from a 30gal to a 90gal reef tank. I was planning on selling my 30gal but recently have been reading about all the benefits of a quarantine tank and was thinking I could re-purpose my 30 for that reason. I am thinking of purchasing a yellow tang and a Kole tang this weekend and had a few questions regarding this QT...

1. How long does it take to cycle a QT if I fill it with ~20 gal of my existing tank water 10 gal of new mix? could i get it ready for fish in a few days?

2. I have an HOB filter and a light for the tank. Can I run it bare bottom? Do I need any rock in there?

3. Can I QT multiple fish at the same time? I'm thinking a Yellow Tang, Kole Tang and perhaps a One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish


Thanks for the insight...

 

[Crabs McJones]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this so apologies if not...

I recently upgraded from a 30gal to a 90gal reef tank. I was planning on selling my 30gal but recently have been reading about all the benefits of a quarantine tank and was thinking I could re-purpose my 30 for that reason. I am thinking of purchasing a yellow tang and a Kole tang this weekend and had a few questions regarding this QT...

1. How long does it take to cycle a QT if I fill it with ~20 gal of my existing tank water 10 gal of new mix? could i get it ready for fish in a few days?

2. I have an HOB filter and a light for the tank. Can I run it bare bottom? Do I need any rock in there?

3. Can I QT multiple fish at the same time? I'm thinking a Yellow Tang, Kole Tang and perhaps a One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish


Thanks for the insight...

If you're using existing water from your old tank, and some new saltwater, you should be good after a couple days of running. Just test the water first to make sure all the levels are in check.
Bare bottom with pvc fittings for the fish to hide in
And you can qt multiple fish at the same time, just keep an eye on them for bullying

 

[Balanje]

Thanks a lot. I'm also reading about Sponge Filters... Would I need something like that or using my old HOB filter would remove the need for that? It's an Aquaclear 110. Also, should I include any media like carbon?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Thanks a lot. I'm also reading about Sponge Filters... Would I need something like that or using my old HOB filter would remove the need for that? It's an Aquaclear 110. Also, should I include any media like carbon?

the HOB filter would suffice.

 

[Richards_reef]

Congratulations on the new tank.

1. It will take as long as it takes. There is free-floating bacteria in the water but I wouldn't count on it making much of a difference to cycle time. The bacteria in aquariums for the most part are on the surfaces of objects like the glass of the aquarium, the rock work and filter Media.

If you want to cycle the qt faster I suggest adding old filter Media from the main display or getting yourself some prodibio start up. Make sure you test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate daily until the tank is cycled. If nitrite or ammonia are at all elevated do a water change.

One more thing if you have to treat any disease you will most likely destroy your bacterial filter with the treatment. I would suggest forgetting the bacterial filter and doing 2-3 large water changes (50 percent or more) threw the week.

2.its not suggested to run with sand or rock in a qt. However I do use rock because I had some Laying around and never qt just one fish. I feel having some type of structure in a qt will help alleviate stress on the fish.

3.keeping those 3 fish in that small of a tank can lead to aggression issues. I don't see all 3 surviving qt by the time it's all said and done. You can have multiple fish in qt, but again I wouldn't suggest those 3 together.

So this is my suggestions to you, everyone does qt differently and you will get many different responses on the matter.

 

[Radman73]

To add:

Put some filter floss into your HOB and seed it with bacteria in a bottle, like BioSpira, or some other live bacteria additive. Dormant bacteria additives take several days to a week to be effective.

I'd only put sand in there if you have a fish that requires it. Try to minimize live rock if you'll be using a copper based product as the rock will absorb the copper making it difficult to maintain the proper level.

 

[Radman73]

Oh, if you do need sand, place it in a small glass dish so you can limit how much you have to add and toss it out when you're done.

 

[Richards_reef]

Also I forgot to mention that if ammonia or nitrite get too high, that can kill the biological filter also, so test test test.

 

[Balanje]

So, I probably know the answer i'm going to get here but... is it really, really worth it??

I have a 90gal tank with 6 fish in there that have not been quarantined at all... After these two Tangs, i'm probably stocked to the limit anyway. According to my LFS there is some new restrictions on ornamental fish collecting in Hawaii and the yellow tang will be more expensive at a minimum and potentially hard to find soon. So I'm hoping to buy one this weekend. Being that I'm nowhere with this QT setup, should I just role the dice?

 

[Jberge]

So, I probably know the answer i'm going to get here but... is it really, really worth it??

I have a 90gal tank with 6 fish in there that have not been quarantined at all... After these two Tangs, i'm probably stocked to the limit anyway. According to my LFS there is some new restrictions on ornamental fish collecting in Hawaii and the yellow tang will be more expensive at a minimum and potentially hard to find soon. So I'm hoping to buy one this weekend. Being that I'm nowhere with this QT setup, should I just role the dice?

Unless you are going to qt and treat your existing fish and go fallow, there really isn’t any reason to qt new fish IMO. When I upgraded from a 30g to a 72g none of the fish had been qt’d. It only took about a month before I was pulling them all out and treating for ich along with going fallow. The fallow period sucked but now I qt all fish, inverts and corals and knock on wood it’s been almost a year with no issues. I feel much better about doing things this way now. That’s just my experience

 

[Crabs McJones]

So, I probably know the answer i'm going to get here but... is it really, really worth it??

I have a 90gal tank with 6 fish in there that have not been quarantined at all... After these two Tangs, i'm probably stocked to the limit anyway. According to my LFS there is some new restrictions on ornamental fish collecting in Hawaii and the yellow tang will be more expensive at a minimum and potentially hard to find soon. So I'm hoping to buy one this weekend. Being that I'm nowhere with this QT setup, should I just role the dice?

From someone who has had their tank wiped out by brooklynella, yes it is really worth it...I lost all my fish. So I let the tank sit fallow for 80 days, got more fish and kept them in qt for 6 weeks before adding them back into the display tank. And now everyone is alive and healthy and there are no signs of brooklynella anywhere anymore.

 

[Radman73]

So, I probably know the answer i'm going to get here but... is it really, really worth it??

I have a 90gal tank with 6 fish in there that have not been quarantined at all... After these two Tangs, i'm probably stocked to the limit anyway. According to my LFS there is some new restrictions on ornamental fish collecting in Hawaii and the yellow tang will be more expensive at a minimum and potentially hard to find soon. So I'm hoping to buy one this weekend. Being that I'm nowhere with this QT setup, should I just role the dice?

How would you feel if the last two fish are what took down all the rest? How much do you trust the store you'll be getting the fish from? I used to have access to a LFS that actually went through a QT protocol on their fish before putting them out for sale. I trusted that LFS completely and never regretted it.

I get the dilemma. But since you already have the 30gal and HOB filter, I think it is worth it. All it will cost you is some salt and basic meds if you choose to be proactive and treat. Even if you just observe for 3-4 weeks, at least you can be a little more confident when you add them to the DT. If you aren't planning on treating prophylactically go ahead and put a small amount of live rock in there for the bio filter in addition to filter floss in the HOB. Just remember to remove the rock if they show signs of ich or velvet and you need to treat with copper.

 

[Jberge]

From someone who has had their tank wiped out by brooklynella, yes it is really worth it...I lost all my fish. So I let the tank sit fallow for 80 days, got more fish and kept them in qt for 6 weeks before adding them back into the display tank. And now everyone is alive and healthy and there are no signs of brooklynella anywhere anymore.

I understand that if he qt’s these new fish he could prevent something as deadly as brooklynella but afterwards they’ll be added to a tank that probably has ich and who knows what else, which could take down the new healthy fish. I think it’s a catch 22 without taking care of everything at once

 

[cycled123]

I just lost 5 fish in QT to Uronema. I would have been extremely devastated if I lost all my current fish to it. I am still praying I didn't accidentally introduce to dt through equipment (we were using same refractometer unthinkingly with both tanks-- now I sterilize at each use) Even after you QT all the new fish you want to add having another tank on hand is good practice in case you have to medicate, separate for aggression, someone not getting enough to eat ect.

 

[LuizW13]

You pretty much have everything you need for a QT- you should absolutely go through with it.

The reason people don't normally add any type of biological filtration is because you'll most likely treat the QT, which will destroy the biological filtration. Because you have no biological filtration, ammonia will build up rather quickly- that's why it's important that you have no obligations like travel while QTing fish; you'll have to do large water changes every few days. Get yourself one of those Seachem Ammonia alert badge, it will help a lot with peace of mind.

A lot of people (from what i've read) will use HOB filter with sponge media and seed it with bacteria from their main tank ahead of time, then use that in the QT system. That's a great way of having biological filtration because you can easily discard the sponge when you're done. But that doesn't mean you won't need to do frequent water changes, especially if you treat the water.

The last fish i got, i must have QT'd it for almost a month, mostly for safe measure. After the fish had been in the QT over night, i started feeding it. After a few days of eating and showing no signs of any disease, i thought i was mostly in the clear. I proactively treated the water with Prazipro and after a week of total QT time, the fish started showing signs of intestinal worms. I then gave the fish medicated food with Metroplex+focus for a about a week. After the stringy poops disappeared, I finished off the QT with another round of Prazipro, lasting a few days.

It definitely kind of sucks having to wait until you can put the fish in the main system, but it's totally worth it- especially if you have most of the supplies anyway. You're going to spend a dollar or two with some PVC elbow and whatever you want to add as a hiding places for the fish, and then a few bucks with medications.

 

[Balanje]

I proactively treated the water with Prazipro and after a week of total QT time, the fish started showing signs of intestinal worms. I then gave the fish medicated food with Metroplex+focus for a about a week. After the stringy poops disappeared, I finished off the QT with another round of Prazipro, lasting a few days.

Oh man -- i'm such a noob... My Starry Blenny has been pooping stringy for a few weeks. I just thought he was a big pooper! Crap! (pun intended)

 

[Balanje]

OK, I'm convinced... I should do this. Can you please let me know if this sounds right?

Setup:

30 gal tank
I'll fill with 20gal from my DT and 10gal newly mixed water
Fulval LED light
HOB filter - AquaClear 110
I'll soak the foam AquaClear foam in my DT for a few days and then add to the QT - no other media
Some places to hide - PVC
Bare bottom, no sand or rock
Heat to 80 degrees
I have a spare powerhead - should I include that?

Process:

Yellow Tang and Kole Tang purchased on Saturday or Sunday
Monitor ammonia daily
20% water changes every 2 days
Watch for 1 week
Proactive medication for week 2
Watch week 3 and 4
Add to DT as long as nothing came up

Does that sound right?

 

[LuizW13]

Oh man -- i'm such a noob... My Starry Blenny has been pooping stringy for a few weeks. I just thought he was a big pooper! Crap! (pun intended)

I thought it was just how fish poop was- i've never really had an aquarium before. But somehow i remembered reading a thread about fish disease on ReefCentral forums, and began researching.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389264

OK, I'm convinced... I should do this. Can you please let me know if this sounds right?

Setup:

30 gal tank
I'll fill with 20gal from my DT and 10gal newly mixed water
Fulval LED light
HOB filter - AquaClear 110
I'll soak the foam AquaClear foam in my DT for a few days and then add to the QT - no other media
Some places to hide - PVC
Bare bottom, no sand or rock
Heat to 80 degrees
I have a spare powerhead - should I include that?

Process:

Yellow Tang and Kole Tang purchased on Saturday or Sunday
Monitor ammonia daily
20% water changes every 2 days
Watch for 1 week
Proactive medication for week 2
Watch week 3 and 4
Add to DT as long as nothing came up

Does that sound right?

Looks good to me!

The warm water might even help speed up things a bit. I never included any powerheads in my QT, but if you have a spare lying around, i don't see why not.

 

[Richards_reef]

OK, I'm convinced... I should do this. Can you please let me know if this sounds right?

Setup:

30 gal tank
I'll fill with 20gal from my DT and 10gal newly mixed water
Fulval LED light
HOB filter - AquaClear 110
I'll soak the foam AquaClear foam in my DT for a few days and then add to the QT - no other media
Some places to hide - PVC
Bare bottom, no sand or rock
Heat to 80 degrees
I have a spare powerhead - should I include that?

Process:

Yellow Tang and Kole Tang purchased on Saturday or Sunday
Monitor ammonia daily
20% water changes every 2 days
Watch for 1 week
Proactive medication for week 2
Watch week 3 and 4
Add to DT as long as nothing came up

Does that sound right?

Sounds good to me . Make sure to feed them plenty to keep their aggression to a minimum and fatten them up for the dt.

 

[Brew12]

Oh man -- i'm such a noob... My Starry Blenny has been pooping stringy for a few weeks. I just thought he was a big pooper! Crap! (pun intended)

Stringy poop may not be a problem (although it would be unusual for a Blenny) If it is white/grey and not dark green then it is a problem.