New QT tank (first step)

B

bridget111188

Reefing newb
I have been planning a 55 gallon reef tank for a wile now. Today was my sign to start the adventure! I work at a pet shop and someone had brought in their saltwater fish along with their live rock. As long as we have room we will take it in and (adopt out) the fish and rock. All the money from the adoption fee goes to the shelters:) So through the day we did end up selling the customers fish out to a woman who had a large tank with room to spare. But the live rock stayed. This live rock was so nice. There where medium and small pieces with coraline and a few blue mushrooms. Looking at the rock all day had me thinking... I wonder how much it would be for me to (adopt) the live rock. So I asked my manager and she said I could take it home no questions asked. She knew I would be spending money on the QT set up so I got a good nine pieces of live rock for pennies. I also bought a fluval 20 gallon filter, 15 gallon heater, live sand and salt. I was golden. I just set up the tank and everything is good to go. Now we wait. With all the live rock the New tank syndrome should be minimum and the mushrooms should survive. Wish me luck!
 
Thanks :) My only question is if I have any living beings in there like a pods should I feed them anything? I thought I saw something swimming around in there. What do you think?
 
They will be fine. Just keep an eye on your ammonia, and let the water cycle. It should go quick if the rock came from a healthy tank.
 
A quarantine tank shouldn't have live rock in it in case you have to treat a fish while in quarantine. When you get your display tank, you'll want to move that rock out of the quarantine system. Congrats on the free live rock!
 
Ok so first day. I have a seven legged starfish. I saw it cruising the glass. Three of the legs are a bit longer than the other four. It is about the size of my pinkie nail and is light tan with black spots on each leg. I'm not real sure what kind it is or if it's reef safe. If it came on the live rock (not sure where else it could have come from) I'm guessing it is because the mushrooms aren't damaged. I found five so far of the dreaded aiptasia. I have heard you can use lemon juice on them or does aiptasia-x work better? Or maybe something else? I also found four blue striped and one rusty red mushroom that are opened up and doing well. So any advice about the starfish and the aiptasia would be great. Thanks
 
Probably an asterina starfish, though I cant say for sure without pics. There are many types of them and some are reef safe, some are not. The ones that are not go after stony coral, not soft like a mushroom. I find mine on my coralline algae so I think I have the type that would go after stony coral if left unchecked. I just pull out a few at a time when I see them so that they don't overpopulate.
I haven't tried either method for aiptasia. I have only killed them with boiling fresh water. I take the rock out, suck up some boiling water in a pipette and melt them, rinse the rock with tank water (do this after a WC when you have some old tank water handy), and then put the rock back in the tank. Try to minimize how much of the hot water you get on your rock. It will cause die off. I have not had any aiptasia reproduce doing this method. Good luck!
 
i'm confused. so is this a reef tank or a QT tank, haha? you mention not only the live rock but the live sand as well?

it's typically not suggested to start out with any type of rock or "live" substance as it introduces possible pathogens and problems which is the whole point of quarantine. everything should be sterilized, not from an existing system.
 
Oh I didn't know that. Well at least this way I can get rid of the aiptasia maybe and the star if he becomes a problem. Isn't it a good idea to put live sand and rock in a tank to start the bio cycle? Thats what I have always heard. Well everything seems to be going well. I need to get some aiptasia x and watch things grow :)
 
monkiboy said:
in a reef tank, sure thing. not for a tank that will be for treatment of your livestock. you rely on water changes for control of ammonia an nitrite.
Click to expand...

You missed the part of the conversation that stated it is a future qt tank that is the current DT. In which case it's perfectly normal to start a tank off with LS & LR.
 
Aquarian said:
You missed the part of the conversation that stated it is a future qt tank that is the current DT. In which case it's perfectly normal to start a tank off with LS & LR.
Click to expand...
i guess i'm reading something incorrectly. i reread the title of the thread and the thread itself and i still don't gather that this is a future QT tank and currently meant to be a display tank. just don't want the OP headed down the wrong path with bad QT practices and unneeded extra effort. best of luck with your goals, bridget!
 
it's going to be my QT tank but I decided to start with live rock so I can put it in my larger 55 gallon when it's ready. So I also have found 4 snails they are dark with a very small smooth shell.
 
bridget111188 said:
it's going to be my QT tank but I decided to start with live rock so I can put it in my larger 55 gallon when it's ready. So I also have found 4 snails they are dark with a very small smooth shell.
Click to expand...
ok, so you definitely don't want that rock in there for a QT tank. you can remove the rock and keep it in a bucket or cheap rubbermaid container with a power head and heater if you want to "cure" the rock, liven it, etc.

the second you treat a fish or coral, that rock is going to be useless in a reef tank. inverts are incredibly sensitive to copper and other treatments and even after "washing" or re-curing it's ill-advised to use rock that has been in a QT.
 
We still need to get a stand made. A family friend might build it for us. We have everything else. I have...

A large refugium that has a protein skimmer and power heads
100 hang on filter
55 gallon heater
salt
lots of sailt water tests ammonia,ph, nitrate, nitrite, calcium, and much more.
 

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