quarantine tank

[jar05g]

Hello all. So I've learned the hard way that you NEED to have a QT with saltwater. I went out and bought a 5 gallon hex from walmart and got 3 gallons of water from my LFS reef tank and mixed the other 2 myself. It's been about a week and a half now and I just did a water test and the results were quite astonishing....nitrites were really high..off the charts, ammonia was undetectable and nitrates were just as high as nitrites. pH was fine. I guess it's time to do a water test? If so would a gallon and a half we a good change? And since there aren't any fish in there...do you still have to let the water sit for a day before adding...or can you mix it and as long as you SG is good...change the water in the same day. Thanks!

[rob28]

Are u cycling your Qt?If u have no fish how come the levels are high>?Do you have a filter in it?If your just cycling it to get it ready for fish just leave it...And when u do add fish test often...Every day as the levels will rise fast as it is such a small tank...When u need to do water changes in it have water ready to do a change in your Dtank and use the water out of there for the QT providing the levels in the DT are all good...

[jar05g]

See that's the thing. My DT levels aren't all that great. I'm still waiting for that tank to finish cycling. I have no fish in my QT and I do have a filter. I'm not sure why it's so high. Would a water change help/hurt anything?

[rob28]

If u have no fish in the QT i would leave it to cycle,Unless u need to QT a fish right away.Then get some water mixed up and do a change.If u don't have anything in there it shouldn't be like that?But if your main tank has water problems that may be the cause of your fish problems....Disease ushually only tends to show up when the fish are stressed due to a new enviroment or poor water conditions,Water conditions are in your control...Keep up on water changes...I do 5 gallons every 2nd week in my tank and all my par. are great all the time to the point i only check them every other month now...Only had one minor problem that i cured with a fresh water dip....Never lost a fish yet....Hope i helped....Do lots of reasearch and ask lots of questions....

[rob28]

oh ya your right a QT is important...Im watching my 2 yellow wrasses in my Qt right now....QT all new arrivals

[jar05g]

I'm not having any problems with my fish. I finally was able to get a QT and I'm setting it up now for future use with new fish and what not. I didn't fill it with water from my DT...just water that I mixed and water from my LFS reef tank. That's why I'm not sure why the parameters are so bad. It's just a little 5 gallon kit from walmart with a built in filter...only carbon..no bio filter. I have the carbon in there now. I just did about a gallon and a half water change. I guess I'll watch the parameters and see what happens.

[rob28]

A good rule with a Qt is to have some kind of sponge filter running in your main tank, perferably in your sump or fuge if u have one...If you plan on getting a new fish do a water change in your main tank and take your sponge filter from your main tank and bingo you have your QT running and cycled as the sponge fiter will build up a bacterial culture in it.It saves u from having the QT running all the time...But if your going to keep it running just in case,rotate water from the main tank when u do a water change and add just a touch of food to the qt about every 2 weeks...Like a few flakes,this will get and keep a bacterial culture alive...Make sure the Qt has some kind of filter that will hold a bacterial culture.Carbon is not nessary ,maybe just if you add a fish to it.But remove if medicating the QT for a sick fish....And ENJOY your tank...As time passes it get very easy as all things in the main tank stabilize and u get your your self into a routine....Most important.....DON"T overfeed.This causes lots of problems....Good luck

[jar05g]

Ok...so this is what I'm thinking now after reading your post. I will take out the carbon since it's not needed. I did do a water change tonight...I figured it wouldn't hurt. I have nothing in the tank...and I don't plan on putting anything in there. I'm getting a new Emperor 280 for my display tank...and when I take down my current filter, could I take the carbon and/or the bio filter cartridge from my old filter and drop it into my QT? I'm not sure what this sponge is that you're talking about. But by placing my used carbon and bio filter into my tank be just as good or what?

[kevin2000]

My 02

Spend $10 and purchase a ten gallon tank from any Petco/Petsmart .. qting any fish in a 5 gallon tank is not a great idea.

Don't use water you get from your LFS tanks ... probably the best source of disease/parasites you can name.

Either run your QT with no mature bio filter and rely on water changes to maintain water quality, cycle the Qt, or use mature bio filter media from your show tank.

[jar05g]

So if I can get my hands on a 10 gallon, then all I would have to do is throw on a filter and thermometer? And then just toss a bio filter media from my show tank into my QT tank?

[CarmieJo]

Here is a good article http://www.reefreaders.com/content/view/22/1/ on QT. It shows the sponge filters mentioned and talks about different QT options.

[jar05g]

So I basically have the uncylced set up...well for now anyways...a few weeks from now it will be cycled and ready for some new friends.

[CarmieJo]

Well if you want to have a cycled QT you will need biological filtration.

[jar05g]

As soon as my new filter comes in on Tuesday, I will be able to take my old bio filter media and drop it into the tank. What about when I go to change the carbon on my display tank...would that also be a good source of bacteria for my QT tank?

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11112036#post11112036 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jar05g
As soon as my new filter comes in on Tuesday, I will be able to take my old bio filter media and drop it into the tank. What about when I go to change the carbon on my display tank...would that also be a good source of bacteria for my QT tank?

Yes - the carbon should also have beneficial bacteria. Make sure you remove it if you have to medicate the tank.

Here's a good thread discussing QTing .. guys a clown fish breeder and uses hypo as std practice for Qting .. nice article which gives you some good tips for running a QT.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288805

Hope this helps.