QT tank questions.

[bignose]

So after buying some fish that came with ich I've decided to learn from this mistake and start a qt. First I should mention that the sick fish I bought was not ready for sale and I place no blame on the store in any way.

Everyone please ask questions as I don't want this to be my thread and I would like to learn as much out of this as possible.

My first question is, can I set up a tank transfer some established tank water and have an instant qt? I would of course have a heater small light and powerhead in the tank.

[pirate]

When I set up my QT tank, I used a bare bottom tank (nothing fancy) threw in a heater and some pvc pipes in various sizes for the fish. Then picked up a canister filter (for flow in the tank and filtration). And put a cheep light on top of it. When it comes down, I put the filter (I dont use the filter element if I use meds) on my dt if nothing was wrong, and if so I clean out the filter, and re-install the element. That way its ready to go, if I need it. If need I do a water change in my tank, instant water ready to go for the new/sick fish.

[cuz]

I do similar to the above post. I have a bb tank with PVC, a heater, K1, and an old skimmer for air movement. I basically do a water change on the display for water and go from there. I don't use any rock or filtration as every fish gets cupramine in the qt to keep ich out.

[sphelps]

Use some water and rock from your running tank to setup your QT. This will avoid the need for a cycle. You will have to preform water changes often and check ammonia and nitrite levels often as well to ensure good water quality.

[Myka]

My QT is always set up, and I always have a fish in there to keep the biological filter going (she is removed when I have fish to quarantine). It has a bunch of rock rubble with hiding places, a heater, a powerhead, a SeaChem Ammonia Alert (they actually work well), and a Coralife 50/50 screw in compact fluorescent bulb that is screwed into one of those clip on bell-shaped lamps (desk/shop lamp). My QT is placed near a window so it gets natural light which I find helps new fish acclimate. Once the fish is acclimated I will start getting it used to the tank lights which are on the same cycle as my display tank.

I keep the live rock rubble in the tank because it helps with biological filtration. I find it also helps fish acclimate quicker than PVC pipe does. Because the rock has been exposed to medications I am very careful to keep it away from any other live rock I have. It never leaves the tank, and I will never sell it to anyone else.

The medications I choose to use are PraziPro (dewormer), hyposalinity, broad spectrum antibiotics, Methylene Blue, and Formalin dips. I choose these because I find them the most useful, and also because they won't harm the live rock rubble (keep reading to see why).

Almost all fish are medicated with Prazi for flukes and internal parasites once they have settled into the QT. If Ich pops up they get hypo. Hypo will kill off most of the micro and macro fauna (aka pods, other inverts, and algae) on and in the rock, but won't significantly harm the nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. Broad spectrum antibiotics are mixed with food and fed to the fish rather than medicating the whole tank. Three reasons for that; I find it more effective, it is cheaper, and it won't harm the live rock rubble since any antibiotics in the water column will be well diluted. I use Methylene Blue dips as treatment to alleviate symptoms of cyanide or ammonia poisoning. I also use Methylene Blue in any freshwater dips when treating an extreme Ich infection as an extra kick. It also helps for flukes, and skin and gill parasites. Finally, Formalin dips are done outside of the tank, and used only for Brookynella or done as a last resort when the antibiotics haven't had effect on whatever it is I'm trying to treat.

[daniella3d]

since the bacterias are not in the water column then no you cannot cycle an aquarium by just putting water from an established tank.

The way I set up mine and have zero ammonia, is to take a few pieces of liverock from my main tank and put it in there with bare bottom. I use a small canister filter to collect the scrap and that's it.

I have done a 4 weeks treatment with Seachem paraguard and that did not kill the bacterias. Same with hyposalinity, the bacterias survived just fine but all the feather stars, feather duster and bristle worms, pods etc died.

I did a 5 week hyposalinity for my hippo tang with ich and that worked great, then did a 4 weeks treatment of paraguard for my niger trigger with one pop eye and that also worked.

Originally Posted by bignose

So after buying some fish that came with ich I've decided to learn from this mistake and start a qt. First I should mention that the sick fish I bought was not ready for sale and I place no blame on the store in any way.

Everyone please ask questions as I don't want this to be my thread and I would like to learn as much out of this as possible.

My first question is, can I set up a tank transfer some established tank water and have an instant qt? I would of course have a heater small light and powerhead in the tank.

[ILIKECOUGARS]

I just use water from display tank, live rock from sump into a 10g tank with a power head, and heater, instant QT tank. If I have to treat with any med, I take out the live rock.

[cale262]

Originally Posted by ILIKECOUGARS

I just use water from display tank, live rock from sump into a 10g tank with a power head, and heater, instant QT tank. If I have to treat with any med, I take out the live rock.

X2

[bignose]

Thanks everyone sounds like I need to learn about medication.

I have the following for my qt tank:
20G tank
rio nano skimmer
15W fluorescent light
rock from my dt sump - all different sizes
pump - seio 620gph or koralia 420gph not sure which one
heater - need to buy

What is a good qt period to start with?

[lastlight]

So rather than allow the fish to simply live in qt and release if appearing healthy... people treat their fish by default or what? I don't currently qt but plan to down the road when I have the space to.