Getting a QT up and running in a pinch?
 

In anticipation of my new tank, I am going to set up a quarantine tank.

Currently I have a 30g holding a bunch of live rock with a couple of damsels and a clown in there. Can I remove the fish and rocks (leave a piece or two maybe?) and use it as is? Or should I drain the tank and use newly mixed water? A combination of both?

For filtration, something like a AquaClear with filter floss?

I have a MaxiJet 1200 for circulation. Will that suffice along with the HOB filter?

I have a LED strip light so I think that will be fine.

What else do I need to know for setting it up? How often for water change and what percentage? Use Prime?

I want to keep the fish in there just for observation for a month, unless symptoms arise then I'll medicate. Yay or nay?

No rock, no substrate, use a hob aquaclear full of hydroton and pieces of pvc for fish to hide

If you plan on keeping it up and running you can leave some rock in there. Your plan looks good, i have a 20 long with a HOB filter and a cerc pump in it. I have like 5 pounds of liverock to keep the good bacteria going but it will never end up in my display because I've medicated in the past...

I am torn with this subject myself I think I may add some dry rock/ liverock rather than pvc for hiding my qt will be running constantly and would like the rock for filtration purposes may even scatter rubble on the bottom vrs sand

Just remember if meds used it cannot re enter display

I have some PVC elbows lying around. Will toss them in. Hydroton I will go find some at JL. Any particular brand you recommend?

Yes I plan to have it running for a while, at least throughout 2015 as I gather more fish for the DT. I can leave a few pounds of LR in there, got more than enough.

No re-entry after meds, gotcha.

I would leave the rock out. Just leave it bare boned. The rock will hold the meds forever especially a copper treatment and will also allow the parasites to continue to repopulate due to the rock being porous giving them a place to hang on to. Plus when you shut it down it will be a lot easier to sterilize with bleach.

I recently set up a QT tank for a candy cane basslet, and then for a couple of possum wrasses once he went over to the DT.

I used a 20gallon with a HOB filter. I put my candy cane into it the same day it was set up. Added Microbactor7 as per instructions to help cycle and regularly added it after as well.

Also put in a foam filter (extra aeration plus more surface area for bacteria to grow).

Added a seachem ammonia checker on the front to watch ammonia levels.

First week or so changed maybe 25% water every couple days (which really was just a bucket full. Took water from my DT and my DT got a bit of newly mixed water every few days... I must say the corals all seemed to love it too!!! Those little bits of trace elements in there (and whatever else) really help!

Bare bottom.

Like you I went for some rock in my QT tank... made it look cozy :mrgreen: (not too much)

I had some that I had kept in my sump so that really helped with the cycling. As a matter of fact I never had any rise in ammonia/nitrites/nitrates that I saw... and I did run some tests. (That candy cane basslet was just too expensive to chance it lol).

I also but some of that barnacle rock in there... great for hiding spots... JL had it.

Thanks for all the advice so far, I think I have a much better grasp of what's necessary.

As for the water, that's my one confusion. Should I:

a) keep the current QT's water

b) change it out completely for newly mixed saltwater

c) half and half

These are my only real options at the time. I can possibly take 10-15g out of my RSM 130 if that's necessary, I'll just think of it as a water change for the RSM.

And how often do I do my WC in the QT? At what percentage?

The water from your DT to start the QT is fine. You have to be vigilant in testing your water for ammonia. Then you start your water changes at 50% or better. Again you test every other day and change water when test numbers start to rise

If your using water from your display tank there should be no real cycle unless you add uncured live rock or something dead like shrimp

Now if you where using new water that's a different story you will have to wait for it to cycle

Nonsense. There's nothing in tank water that will prevent a cycle. If you add fish to an empty tank with nothing but tank water, ammonia will rise. The only difference between clean fresh salt water and tank water is one is clean and fresh, the other has fish poop in it. The "bacteria" in DT water is insignificant.

I was told different by a local reefer loooong time ago and just followed this practice of using old tank water to start a new tank. I do agree there can be a spike but less significant than if you use fresh mix with no bacteria whatsoever.

When I transferred everything from my 90 to my 180 I did a process I will call transfusion I actually pumped back and forth from one tank to another for a week before transfering Rock coral and fish over. I had no spike whatsoever in the swap

Ya, I hear this all the time, but it's not true. Water contains so little bacteria that you wouldn't notice old from new in any kind of new tank, QT or otherwise.

If you did this thing above, and then transferred rock over, then that is where your bacteria came from. I transferred my 90 into my 180 with all new water, no spike or anything else either :) The bacteria is on/in the rock.

So with this would it then not be advised to have live rock or dry rock to become live in your qt tank not only for fish Hiding but for a stable qt system. Otherwise your struggling with what ever ails the fish as well as keeping parameters in check. It may seem a waste of live rock. But in my mind the best way to run a qt tank

+1

By using water from my DT, just figured I would kill two birds with one stone so-to-speak (I like birds LOL) ...my DT then benefits by getting a bit of freshly mixed water.

I keep my DT clean and my levels are all good in regards to nitrates/phosphates etc.

The fresh water gives a tiny boost to the calcium and alkalinity and magnesium... and with all my sps every tiny bit helps LOL

The QT tank does not need this as of course there are no corals in there. That's why I take the water from my DT.

The water does not hold the bacteria.

Come to think of it, initially I changed close to 50% maybe every other day... then gradually eased to 25% twice a week... then weekly.

But remember, I did put a small piece of liverock over from my sump, which does harbour bacteria.

Maybe someone can give you a piece.

Just don't put anything back into the DT from the QT (except the fish :mrgreen: )

In my case my qt tank will also double as a frag tank. Not to be used as a hospital tank that some use to dose meds like copper. I don't plan on using copper ever but if need be I can set up a hospital tank for this purpose.

I currently have rock in mine, but normally I keep a fully cycled aquaclear foam block in my main sump for quick QT setup. This way, I can have a tank fully cycled in an hour

lol I have 3 foam blocks in my sump but never thought to use them in that way

Instant filter :)

I use mine under pumps to stop vibration