Is this QT set up correctly?

tirtza

tirtza

Member
I've set up a QT for the first time, and I'm hoping that you could tell me if I've done this correctly....

  • new I0 gallon aquarium

  • prepared the salt water 24 hrs ago and placed it in the tank - 1.025 ppm / 80 degrees (same as DT)

  • includes a heater and digital thermometer

  • I used a sponge filter that's been sitting in my DT sump for over a month

    For the filter's pump, I used the the one that came with my BioCube Protien Skimmer (that I'm no longer using)
    I still need to put something in the tank for the fish to hide (I heard coffe cups work?)
Here's a pick of the QT.....What do you think?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
I like it if it is for fish only. As the lights are not strong enough to keep coral in QT very long. I would call it your QT/HT
I make a distinction from a hospital tank and a quarantine tank. The reason I do is I put live rock and sand in my QT so to keep it up and cycled all the time. Which means I can't always treat in it.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Looks alot like my QT. I like the filter intake. I agree with Geo. But I have two QT's. One for Coral which has sand and live rock and one for fish which is bare bottom naked. Yeehaw.
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
Thanks for your input! Yep, this is just a QT or HT for fish. I'm hoping to use it only when I get a new fish (which will probably seldom happen). Unless something unexpected happens to the fish I already have I expect to only use this QT twice in the next year.
I already have 3 fish right now (2 clowns and a Fire Fish) so I only plan on adding 1 more small fish in the coming week, and then eventually another small fish (but probably not for several more months though).
After I'm done using the QT, I plan on taking it apart, cleaning it, and then storing it away, until I need it again. I'll keep the sponge in my DT sump so I can easily put it back together if needed. Do you think this is a good idea??
Since I just put the sponge in there today (it's been in my sump for almost a month), do I need to wait for the QT tank to cycle or do you think there are enough ammonia and nitrite consuming bacteria already supplied from the sponge?
Is the pump that came with the BioCube Skimmer strong enough or should I purchase another one?
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
You are so right about just testing the water :) What do you think about the pump? Is it strong enough?
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
ummmm.....I'm sorry I'm still a little confused

The pump is attached to airline tubing (which has an airflow valve). The tubing is attached to the filter. I'm not really sure how much I just adjust the airflow valve. The more if I turn it all the way in one direction it completely just off air flow (or so it seems?) and all the way in the opposite direction creates a ton of noisy bubbles coming out of the output part of the filter (which is near the surface of the water). I was worried to many bubbles would scare the poor fish, and to few would mean that the water wasn't oxygenated enough.
Should I use a power head in the QT???
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
I have a 425 in my 20 gallon. Wouldn't hurt.
As far as the skimmer, I dunno, sorry. Maybe you should put the shimmer in the tank itself rather than the filter. Hard to imagine, sorry.
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
No problem! You have provided lots and lots of help!

I hope that you get lots of great karma for helping rookies like me with our millions of questions! You should earn points or coupons from SWF.com each time you help someone with something!
I don't know how my tank would survive without the help I've been recieving
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Why would one put anything but water, a filter and some PVC pipe in a hospital or quarantine tank? Only those things that can be taken out and sterilized, including the tank, after a hospital or quarantine stay.
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
I totally agree, I certainly wouldn't put in anything more than that. I have the QT up and running right now, but I'm still trying to decide which fish to add. IMO it's a big decision since I can only have a very small # of fish in that small of a DT (29 gallons). So what ever fish I do decide to add need to be the right ones. The hard part isn't just deciding but also finding what I'm looking for. It seems like every fish I would love to have just wouldn't work out because it's to small of an aquarium and/or because I have coral
I guess this is a common SW hobbyist problem!
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
I've been eyeing some of those neon gobies! once you get your copods population up and going, red scooter blennies!!! Oh ya baby!!
 
tirtza

tirtza

Member
I actually just ordered the tisbe copepods, finally!

I think I'm leaning towards a Royal gramma (Gramma loreto) .....or.....Blue fortail (Assessor macneilli)
Any thoughts???
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/390583/is-this-qt-set-up-correctly#post_3459830
I like it if it is for fish only. As the lights are not strong enough to keep coral in QT very long. I would call it your QT/HT
I make a distinction from a hospital tank and a quarantine tank. The reason I do is I put live rock and sand in my QT so to keep it up and cycled all the time. Which means I can't always treat in it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///t/390583/is-this-qt-set-up-correctly#post_3459989
Who puts in more than that?
That person.
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Do you put sand and live rock in your DT?
Why do you put sand and live rock in your DT?
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/390583/is-this-qt-set-up-correctly#post_3460160
Do you put sand and live rock in your DT?
Why do you put sand and live rock in your DT?
Uhm yes.... yes I do, and I don't have to go into detail on why....... it's obvious why. however the QT for fish is a hospital tank (in my opinion) You put them in there to observe them for potential health problems nd treat accordingly right? You can't hypo if there is L/R and substrate in it due to the fact it will kill off the bacteria. You are unable to copper because the rock and substrate will suck up the copper. So....... bare butt it is. A few large pieces of pvc and a test kit is all one needs. The QT was cycles first and has the bacteria needed to sustain the life of the fish.
Now.......... in my coral QT, or, C.C.U. (Coral Containment Unit) Lol...... I have sand and live rock in there for obvious reasons, however, I don't hypo or copper this tank. I watch for flat worms, and other parasitic goobers and kooty's and big bristle worms, which by the way there is one huge monster bristle worm in there now, almost 4 inches!! I'm keepin him, he deserves to live if he got that big. Just using caution when picking things up.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
We are talking about sand and or rock in a QT or HT. If I think about this is not the sand and rock a possible repository for some bacteria, pest or whatever to reside in just waiting for the next fish to come and become a possible host? The idea again in my mind with a quarantine or hospital tank is provide a sterile environment to evaluate and or treat any problems with your critters. If you were to "contaminate" a system that contained rock and or sand how could you then provide that sterile environment. My reading tells me that a QT or a HT should be set up as needed and taken down and sterilized before the next need arises. Do you have some different thoughtsinformation on this subject?
 
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