Quarantine: ammonia problems

[syncro]

Originally Posted by marie

In my hospital tank (tank with no filtration, just some PVC pipe for hidey holes) I assume that I will have to do 50% water changes daily, that's why it's better to have a smaller tank (I use a 20g)

Yikes, I can see why so few people run quarantine tanks. I just did another 50% water change and added some Alpha so I'll see how it looks in the morning. Thanks marie.

[marie]

Originally Posted by syncro

Yikes, I can see why so few people run quarantine tanks. I just did another 50% water change and added some Alpha so I'll see how it looks in the morning. Thanks marie.

I have a "liverock" tank and a hospital tank. The liverock tank is where corals and new fish go so I can keep an eye on them, if there is problems they go into the hospital tank for treatment.
I'm constantly telling my family that the liverock tank is not not a tank, it's a storage/quarantine place and therefore doesn't count.....................they do not yet believe me

[syncro]

Originally Posted by marie

The liverock tank is where corals and new fish go so I can keep an eye on them, if there is problems they go into the hospital tank for treatment.

How often do you do water changes in your live rock tank?

Originally Posted by marie

it's a storage/quarantine place and therefore doesn't count.....................they do not yet believe me

Ha, I agree!

[marie]

Originally Posted by syncro

How often do you do water changes in your live rock tank?



Ha, I agree!

If there are fish/corals in it I do a 25% weekly water change otherwise it could go 2 or 3 months between water changes

[syncro]

Changed out the sponge filter for 2-3 lbs live rock. Much better. Can go a 5 days between water changes.

[christyf5]

I just finished a cycle in my QT (fish is now in the display) running a 30gal tank, I did a 50% waterchange every 5 days (from the main tank) and dosed Amquel daily. I have about 5lb of live rock in the tank and I'm also using one of those seachem ammonia thingies and it never even registered ammonia. Perhaps your tank is a bit small? Maybe increase the volume of your waterchange, 5% doesn't seem like all that much?

[BlueWorldAquatic]

I would not trust those disc detectors.

Do an actual test.

If there is ammonia, use seachem's stability, or kordons AmQuel to control the ammonia.

I am confiused though, is the live rock tank also a QT? if it is, it should not have rock in it.

a QT tank should have just a basic sponge filter, or aquaclear for water flow, and no sand or rock.

[daniella3d]

That is strange. I never ever had any ammonia problem in quarantine. I use a 20 gallons with a few good pieces of liverock and never a trace of ammonia in this. I use good porous Totoka liverock that I take from either my main tank or my nano (fishless) that is completely cured and no ammonia. I don't even do water change that much, only once a month when I have fish in quarantine or once every 2 weeks if there are some nitrates.

Originally Posted by syncro

Yikes, I can see why so few people run quarantine tanks. I just did another 50% water change and added some Alpha so I'll see how it looks in the morning. Thanks marie.

[syncro]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

That is strange. I never ever had any ammonia problem in quarantine. I use a 20 gallons with a few good pieces of liverock and never a trace of ammonia in this. I use good porous Totoka liverock that I take from either my main tank or my nano (fishless) that is completely cured and no ammonia. I don't even do water change that much, only once a month when I have fish in quarantine or once every 2 weeks if there are some nitrates.

Perhaps my sponge filter is not sufficient. I'll get some additional rock and seed it in my sump.

[daniella3d]

Problem is you need to have some good liverock already cured and seeded before starting the quarantine. Can you get some cured liverock from your main tank temporary in there?

Originally Posted by syncro

Perhaps my sponge filter is not sufficient. I'll get some additional rock and seed it in my sump.