setting up qt tank

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tammielynz9881

Large Fish
#1
Jul 22, 2004
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northern illinois
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#1
i have read about having a quarantine tank or "sick" bay tank and i am going to set up a 20 gal under my 55 gal tank and is there anything that i should keep in there to keep the nitrite and nitrate and all other levels safe? Should i use the Damsels to break it in like i did my last tank? Or could i put a couple lbs of live rock in it and if so how long would i have to wait? I would assume i would need very good lighting and a power filter but what else? i have always just put any and all fish i have bought directly in the tank! But i will not buy fish from my lfs that has other dead or sick looking fish in the tanks... i guess i have gotten lucky so far but don't want to lose any in the future do to lack of willingness to protect them and my other fish.
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#2
Dec 1, 2003
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Michigan
#2
Umm...first start up your display with the damsels. After the tank has cycled you could put a few damsels in the qt to cycle that. You should have a sponge filter and a power filter. There should be no substrate. I would not use live rock...if you have to treat fish with copper or malachite green it will kill the rock. You also don't need really good lighting. A single fluorescent light will do. Also try to keep the temperature stable. Fluvuations will cause ich. Its a good idea to keep a qt tank...most saltwater fish are prone to sickness.
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#4
Dec 1, 2003
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#4
Don't use either. The substrate will harbor parasites. Its better to cover the bottom (outside of the tank) with newspaper or a back ground.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#5
Oct 22, 2002
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#5
Paint the bottom black on the outside. Use pieces of pvc to make caves. Fill with saltwater, and use an internal filter or whatever. Bear in mind that even when this is cycled, a good dose of copper or formalin will at least stop your filter bacteria working even if it doesn't kill thme. If you have to treat with anything be ready to do lots of water changes to keep ammonia down.
Quarantine is definitely best cycled. At the moment I have live rock in my QT as I previously had a bicolor angel in it that didn't eat flake or mysis or anything except pick at the live rock for 4 weeks. If I had to medicate this would come out else it will be ruined. Also my QT is pretty strong in algae as it was useful for the angel to pick at.
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#6
Dec 1, 2003
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#6
Yeah...another thing. Have a sponge filter inthe qt and one in your display. If the water quality begins to degrade in the qt tank...you can always take the filter from the display.
 

fishandchips

fishandchips

Medium Fish
#7
Sep 13, 2003
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london
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#7
i just set up my qt tank 2weeks ago i put about 3/4 of a inch of sand it it and took a bit of live sand out of my main tank and laid it on top of the new sand i also added a couple of bit of live rock too it. the tank itself just has a spounge fillter and a little light i added the sand and rock too help the cycle. i going to leave the rock in it unless i have too add treatment
 

T

tammielynz9881

Large Fish
#12
Jul 22, 2004
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northern illinois
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#12
well... i have my first victim in my qt, now hospital, tank and he is a domino damsel and on the back of his top fin he has a white cotton ball (size of a small pin head) ,,, don't know what to do with him quite yet but im READING,,, believe it or not,,,, that is what i read in hear alot is to read, read and read...... i also still have my chocolate chip star in there so he won't hurt my coral and things.....
 

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