Quarantine tank
- Thread starter Redfoot
- Start date
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
It's a great idea to have one, but most of us don't use them. I always wish that when I set up my 125g that I went ahead and treated my fish before transferring them, then qt'ing all incoming fish, but just never did. As long as you keep your tank conditions as pristine as possible, and pick strong healthy fish from the start, they should be able to fight off any diseases/parasites on their own.
As far as keeping them running all the time, it might be a good idea in the beginning when you're still stocking your tank. But once you reach your stocking limit, there's really no point keeping it up all the time, imho. It's best to wait a couple of months anyway in between adding fish to let your tank's bioload catch up.
As far as keeping them running all the time, it might be a good idea in the beginning when you're still stocking your tank. But once you reach your stocking limit, there's really no point keeping it up all the time, imho. It's best to wait a couple of months anyway in between adding fish to let your tank's bioload catch up.
RocketSapp
Reefing newb
Redfoot,
While I am still very new to saltwater fish keeping I do have a few years in freshwater and some of the theories I think can cross over.
It seems that for a saltwater QT it would be a pain to keep a QT running all the time. With the salt levels, water changes and just maintaining a QT all the time it would not be worth the effort.
I would suggest you have the QT ready to go but when you get new fish or need to move a sick fish over then move water from your DT to the QT (Salt levels stay the same). Then turn on the heaters, make sure the temp will stay the same. Then turn on your circulation pumps and then move some of your live rock from a sump into the QT. After a bit of running, test your water and then add the fish to the QT.
I would NOT wait too long between adding the live rock and adding the fish. You want to make sure that there is enough bio-load to keep the bacteria and live rock living. Otherwise you kill off the LR and have to either add more LR or cycle the tank. You may end up with a mini cycle anyway.
Tim
While I am still very new to saltwater fish keeping I do have a few years in freshwater and some of the theories I think can cross over.
It seems that for a saltwater QT it would be a pain to keep a QT running all the time. With the salt levels, water changes and just maintaining a QT all the time it would not be worth the effort.
I would suggest you have the QT ready to go but when you get new fish or need to move a sick fish over then move water from your DT to the QT (Salt levels stay the same). Then turn on the heaters, make sure the temp will stay the same. Then turn on your circulation pumps and then move some of your live rock from a sump into the QT. After a bit of running, test your water and then add the fish to the QT.
I would NOT wait too long between adding the live rock and adding the fish. You want to make sure that there is enough bio-load to keep the bacteria and live rock living. Otherwise you kill off the LR and have to either add more LR or cycle the tank. You may end up with a mini cycle anyway.
Tim
BL1
.............
You don't want to put LR into a QT, at best you're going to kill all the bacteria on the rock anyway at worst your going to saturate the rock with copper.
RocketSapp
Reefing newb
OK, I can see it killing off the LR, but why the copper? I thought you should never use copper to treat marine fish. It seems that there would not be a way to introduce copper into the QT or the LR.
If you don't have LR in the tank, then how are you able to maintain the correct water levels in a QT? Do you just put in the fish into the water and then do 20 or 50% water changes everyday? I am not trying to be a smart ass here... I really want to know, I know I will come across this some time in the future.
Tim
If you don't have LR in the tank, then how are you able to maintain the correct water levels in a QT? Do you just put in the fish into the water and then do 20 or 50% water changes everyday? I am not trying to be a smart ass here... I really want to know, I know I will come across this some time in the future.
Tim
BL1
.............
QTs are primarily used to treat fish for Ich (others treat for other diseases/parasites as well). There are only two methods that effectively treat Ich, hyposalinity (dropping the salt levels low enough to kill the parasite) and copper treatment. Copper can be used to treat marine fish but it can't get into your display otherwise it will kill inverts and coral. Both treatments will kill the bacteria on your rocks.
You are correct, the water quality is maintained by frequent water changes. It's one of the things that make QTing difficult.
