Q-Tank Question
- Thread starter kevinf
- Start date
fishfood
Member
for a 10 gal tank i would get a heater, a filter and a powerhead. No substrate and get a few pvc elbows. The elbows are for hiding places. I run a fluval filter on my qt. I also have a normal reading light next to the tank just for some light, i only keep it on a few hours and it is not shining directly on the tank. I cover the bottom, back and sides with black paper. I think that is supposed to make the tank less stressful, i'm not sure. Once you let the tank cycle you are ready to get a fish. I put all fish in it for 3-4 weeks. I usually start hyposalinity on the tank about 3 days after i put a fish in just as a precaution. Once i'm finished with hypo i let the fish in the tank for about 2-3 more days and then acclimate it to the main tank. You do not need to do hypo on all fish. I do it just to be safe.
Thanks!
S
simm
Guest
Hypo is generaly done in a sick tank. Say a fish has ick. The best way to cure the fish is with a low salinity level. Like 1.009. But this is ONLY done in a hospital tank or QT. If you have a show tank with inverts and coral and LR or LS hypo will surely kill them off. Hyposalinity is another term for low gravity (salt) level. 1.009 instead of 1.022
S
simm
Guest
No you dont want substrate. IMO just paint the bottom of the tank (on the underside) so the fish cant see himself. Maybe a piece of lr or even better PVC pipe big enough for him to get in. So he can have a place to hide. Heater, some kind of filter and something to move the water around. I dont even turn my lights on.
fishfood
Member
Col - just add something like proper pH or some other type of buffer. You are right about the refractometer. I don't have one so this is what i did. I borrowed the one from that lab that i work at. I have two plastic hydrometers and i basically calibrated them to the refractometer. Still not as accurate but i know that one is x amount off and the other y well then its better than not knowing.
The only time i added substrate was when i had a jawfish in the tank. He was going crazy in the qt until i put some sand in the corner behind a rock. Just enough for him to dig in.
Remember i use hypo just as a precaution. Fish can carry ich and not show any signs until stressed. I hope to head that off in the beginning just because i have had some stressfull things going on in my tank like the temp drops all of a sudden or to much kalk percipates out.
The only time i added substrate was when i had a jawfish in the tank. He was going crazy in the qt until i put some sand in the corner behind a rock. Just enough for him to dig in.
Remember i use hypo just as a precaution. Fish can carry ich and not show any signs until stressed. I hope to head that off in the beginning just because i have had some stressfull things going on in my tank like the temp drops all of a sudden or to much kalk percipates out.