QT Tank Advice

[mrshall1027]

I'd like to set up a qt tank in the next month or so. I want to be able to quarantine everything that will eventually go into my dt. I was thinking of going with a 20-30 gallon tank and using a 250w metal halide. I use LEDs on my dt, but I already have the metal halide so I'd like to save some money there. I want to have good lighting for the sps I hope to be adding soon. Will the difference in lighting cause any harm when transferring to the dt?

I need advice on filtration as well. I was thinking of using a hang on power filter, but I've never used one, so don't know if they are any good. How long does the water need to filter for? From what I've read, it's suggested to only have the qt tank up when you are adding something new but I usually add a few pieces of coral every month, so to set up and tear down a tank a few times a month will become annoying and time consuming. However, if there happen to be any parasites or sickness during qt, I will clean and refill the tank before the next use.

I want to do this right the first time, so any and all advice is appreciated.

[mFrame]

Are you looking to QT coral, fish, or both?

[mrshall1027]

Fish and SPS. I was thinking of just having it be a complete set up with a few pieces of rock, no sand, and filtration and when it comes time to qt something, remove the rock and store it in my sump. This way, the qt has good bacteria and filtration. While qting something, just keep up with water changes and use carbon in the filter. I really would like to avoid having to set up and tear down a tank every time I get something new. The only other way of doing it is buying large quantities of sps/fish at a time once every other month or so.

[Bpb]

Since you expect to use it so frequently, why not just keep it running with the rock in it, and just toss in a pinch of food every few days to keep the bacteria fed. If you move the rock back and forth, don't you run the risk of transferring illness into your main system? Also if you're gonna use it for fish AND corals, you won't be able to use certain medications for your fish if they do indeed get ill. Just some ideas. Some people will also put a sponge in their sump, like an air driven sponge filter, use it for quarantine once it's loaded with nitrifying bacteria, and then toss it when it's done since they're so cheap

[mrshall1027]

Since you expect to use it so frequently, why not just keep it running with the rock in it

I don't want any parasites or pests to have a hiding spot. I would take the live rock out before bringing anything new into the QT tank. If there are any parasites or pests found during QT, then I will empty the tank, clean it out and start over. If nothing comes up during QT, then I'll just put that live rock back into the QT tank.

Also, I'll note that I won't be QTing fish and corals at the same time. And if any treatment is needed, the tank will then be emptied and restarted before another batch of corals or fish come in.

I guess I just don't want to have to break it down unless it's absolutely necessary.

[ClarkiiCircus]

We generally always have a QT running, here's our current set-up:

10gal tank with 3 HOB filters and a coralife light strip. There is fish only, so no need for any more intense lighting.

We generally take about 1/2 tank water (from whichever tank you may add them to), and 1/2 of the volume of new, oxygenated sea water and run it for a few days before adding the fish to QT. Bacteria will grow on the filter sponges eventually, but until then, thus the need for large filtration capacity. Mind you, our QT is built out of things that we had around the house. Another option is to "seed" the filters with good bacteria by allowing the filters (cartridges or sponges) in your DT sump for about 2 weeks before adding it to the filter.

Ideally I would recommend:

Your 20-30 gal tank, barebottom with no live rock in case the need to medicate arises. Eggcrate strip on the bottom or 1 area to facilitate the positioning of frags, and the metal halide. For fish I always put in a PVC pipe large enough to hide in, and a terra cotta pot- soak these in very hot water before placing them in your tank to ensure any chemicals they may have encountered in shipping or handling are removed. For filtration I would consider using an Eheim or the like- they are silent, but still give you media options for if you have to medicate (ie, need to remove carbon media). If you use hang ons, it is recommended that you use 2-3X the "recommended gallon" ratings on the outside, especially if the fish are messy eaters or if you are adding a lot of food at various times in an attempt to get a fish eating.

Additionally you can add species specific elements to facilitate the transition- for example, when I QT'ed my mandarins, I added a forest of macro algae not only to present a food source (pods), but also allow a more natural place to hide. Generally I would say to be careful when adding macro because it has the possibility of going sexual, but with metal halides it wouldn't be a problem.

I also did fairly frequent water changes (10% once every few days), to siphon out detritus not picked up by the hang ons.

Our QT is generally in use (We QT for 30-60 days before adding fish/corals to the DT), but when it is not, we leave the filters running to keep the water oxygenated, and place some macro in it just to allow for more filtration, essentially creating a macro culture. You can also add a few cups of tank water every now and again to add some fuel (nitrates, ammonia, nitrites) to feed the bacteria on the filters and the macro. If you do not add macro, an extremely reduced lighting cycle is recommended so nuisance algae does not arise. A large water change (50%) is essential before adding a new fellow (fish or otherwise) to the QT.

Finally (I know, it's a novel), I like to put the QT in a place that little disruption occurs, to reduce stress. Mine tended to go in the bathroom where ambient light was low, and there was little foot traffic. If a fish seems extremely paranoid, I would wrap a plain color bath towel around the sides so it cannot see through.

Hope this helps!

[Timfish]

Here's a good link about Ich by the University of Florida: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164 Keep in mind the post larval stage crawls around to find a hard substrate to attach to to form a cyst so moving rock or pipe from your QT back to your display tank can transfer the parasite to your display tank.

[mrshall1027]

Clarkii, thanks so much! That was exactly what I was looking for. I was thinking of using live rock just to keep the parameters good but if I can do that with macro, I'd much rather go that route.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

[Wade]

I'll piggy back on this one since it answers a lot of the questions I have concerning setting up a QT. Do I need to sterilize a used tank before I set it up for a QT? I bought a tank that's been used to house a big hermit crab (dry) for several years and the owner said he doesn't think there's ever been water in it. Does it need anything more than a good rinsing out?

[Timfish]

Mitch, if a tank has housed something not saltwater i would just rinse it out real well. The osmotic pressure from the saltwater will kill anything that doesn't live in saltwater. You can use vinegar on calcium deposits.

[Wade]

Cool. Thanks man.