Quarantine Tank

[Mikro]

This is my first attempt at a quarantine tank.
I guess I may have to use it as a hospital tank too if the need arises...

10 gal. glass aquarium
Marineland Biowheel 100 Power Filter
2" cc (from my 75 gal display tank)
2 25 watt incandescent bulbs
1 100 watt heater

Is this the right idea? Is 10gal. too small?

I have a small Percula Clown in there now..

TIA

 

[1979camaro]

should be just fine. i would reccomend adding some plastic plants and some PVC pipe just to create a safe feeling for your perc until he moves out. what I do is keep a filter pad just floating in my sump of my display so that when i need to set up the QT it is colonized with some bacterias.

 

[Mikro]

should be just fine. i would reccomend adding some plastic plants and some PVC pipe just to create a safe feeling for your perc until he moves out. what I do is keep a filter pad just floating in my sump of my display so that when i need to set up the QT it is colonized with some bacterias.

That is something I was wondering about. So you break down the tank while its not needed then set it up again if you get a fish? And you use the filter pad for the bacteria? I have crushed coral in there now (I switched out the cc in my 75 gal for sand recently so I had some left over) for the bacteria.

Thanks for the relpy...

 

[1979camaro]

yah, i break it down until i want to add something...another thing you can do is add something which will feed the bacteria and keep it running full time (grocers prawns work)

 

[S.Reef]

I would just keep it going constantly...saves a lot of work when you keep buying stuff.

 

[yamahaguy06]

HI, I hope the tank comes out good for you *PEACE!*

 

[Lorna]

Question: when you set up a quarantine tank and use water from your regular tank is the water not already cycled and contains the bacteria needed or could you move a small piece of live rock along with the water it is in??? My plan was to set up a small tank in another room to use as a quarantine such as a 12 g nano cube with fish only...??? would this work?

 

[S.Reef]

The tank water will have bacteria in it. You can also hop live rock from that tank to the qt. Remove the live rock if you do medicate the tank.

 

[1979camaro]

you do not want to keep other fish in your QT tank because then when you have to QT something there is stuff in there which could catch any diseases

 

[Lorna]

No I wasn't intending to keep any fish in there except new ones prior to introducing them to the main tank, or sick ones that need medication. I know not to medicate with live rock in the tank. thanks for the input, as always it is a great help. Now if I can just grow some cash to get this whole shebang on the go.

 

[1979camaro]

My plan was to set up a small tank in another room to use as a quarantine such as a 12 g nano cube with fish only...???

i misread this part then, somehow i thought you were suggesting a fish only setup to also use as QT...my bad

 

[dbacksrat]

my qt tank is simply a ten gallon glass aquarium w/ a powerhead, heater, and a chunk of LR--it is easiest to clean this way, and very cheap to run

 

[Lorna]

well I thought I might like something that is asthetically pleasing to look at for the 4-6 week quarantine period. For those of you who break down your QT between need, how do you get it up and running quickly if needed? just put water from the main tank in along with something that has a bacteria load such as a sponge from the filter or something? I imagine if you keep nothing but a couple pieces of pvc and a few plastic plants or something it wouldn't take long to get it going?

 

[1979camaro]

precisely all the stuff you said. if i plan to buy a fish i set the QT up a couple days before and then boogie on down to the LFS

 

[dbacksrat]

for quick startup, i just take a piece of LR from my main tank and add it to the QT....when the fish goes into the main tank after a successful quarantine, i change all the water and allow the LR to sit in the QT to get rid of any potential problems (if there's not a host, bacteria/parasites will most likely die)

the main point is having a quarantine tank is essential and easy to set up

 

[Lorna]

got it. Though one small wee question. If you use a piece of lr from the main tank in the quarantine tank can you re-introduce it to the main after using any kind of medication such as copper, I thought some meds were not tolerated by the lr and inverts????? I think the lr would be okay for quarantining new purchases but not in a "hospital" tank?

 

[aresgod]

the LR could not be placed back in the tank after using any medications, what most people do is they remove the LR before they add medication, then after quarantine they break down the tank and scrub and clean to remove any traces of the medication