Do I understand QT correctly?

[mmotown]

Hello guys. This is my 8 week of cycling. Everything is fine. I am ready to add my first coral and or fish. I understand not to add everything so quickly as not to overdo the bio-load. Well I need to setup my QT tank. Wanted to do a search but the search function doesn't work during the day. Anyway the sooner I get my QT tank up the sooner I can get something in my tank. I just want to make sure I understand the QT:

1. Buy a 10gal setup from Pet Smart

2. Heater

3. PVC pipe for fish to hide in etc.

4. What would I use for filtration? Do I buy a bio-wheel filter or something cheap?

5. Use water from main tank.

After setting up my QT. I order my live stock. If it were a fish, I would place it in the QT and observe. If there aren't any signs of ich etc. it would remain in the QT for about 4 wks and then I would place it in the main tank. If there were signs of a bacteria infection, I would treat accordingly.

How would one be able to tell if a coral has some type of infection?

I would appreciate if anyone would tweek my QT steps. Thanks!!!

[Randall_James]

Maybe these will help you a bit :D

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=684888
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

[Dudester]

You can get a HOB filter and place the filter sponge in your tank for a week. By the end of the week, the filter will be colonized with the bacteria that are necessary for filtration. I'm not familiar with the bio-wheels so I can't comment on them specifically.

I agree with everything else you've mentioned. Just be sure that if you have to treat a fish in quarantine, the clock gets restarted back to day 0. Of course you would also have to throw out the filter sponge at that time (after treating with the medication) and replace it with a newly populated (with bacteria) one. For that reason I always keep a sponge filter in my sump, just in case I need one in a pinch.

As far as the corals go, you need to observe them, and the tank closely. They're usually not infected, rather they can harbor unwanted hitchhikers, like flatworms. If you don't see these parasites in the QT after a few weeks, then the coral's probably OK to add to your tank. Quarantining corals is quite different, since they do require some light as well. I'd recommend you still try the search function to get more information on quarantining corals. As far as fish go here's a great thread (http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=684888) to check out.