Qt Help Please!

[lennon]

Hi all. I am getting a 10 gallon tank for a QT.
I wanted to know the simplest way to make one and the items that I would need. please include brand names so I can easily find them.
I heard no sb or rock..just pvc pipe cut up..not sure if you all agree..but just let me know exactly what I need..do I need a light? I assume so.
Any help is GREATLY appreciated since I will be purchasing shortly.
God bless!! :joy:

 

[birdy]

Well I personally think 10 gallon tanks for QT are just too small. For the main reason that if you do wind up treating the fish with hypo in a 10gal then you may run into water quality problems, it is difficult to maintain pH and Ammonia levels during hypo and even more difficult to do so in a small tank.
Go with at least a 20gal.
All you need is a HOB powerfilter (like a penguin or emperor), one with a biowheel, plus mechanical filtration. A heater and something for the fish to hid in. I like to use baserock, I think the fish do much better if there is rock in the tank. I also have some pvc pipe.
I also paint the outside of the tank, all four sides(back, bottom, two sides), just leave the front clear.

 

[lennon]

thanks. How long do I need to cycle the QT?

 

[birdy]

This is my prefered way of cycling a QT tank:
For a 20 gallon tank:
1. feed flake or pellet food as if you had 3-4 fish in the tank.
2. Monitor Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate, look for a spike in all three then a drop, when the tank is 0 ammonia, nitrite and low nitrate (under 40) then it is cycle and you can do the standard 20% water change.
3. I prefer to keep a small school of chromis in my QT tanks so that I remember to feed the tank and keep the biological filtration at a level that will sustain a fish. I use 40 breeders for my QT/hospital tanks and I can rotate the fish into another one when I am QT or treating a new fish (right now I have two, but will soon have 4 tanks total).
If you cannot have fish in the tank then you will want to continue to feed the tank as if it had fish in it to keep the biological filtration going.

 

[1journeyman]

The easiest way I have found to do QT tank:
Go out and buy a 20 gallon aquarium set up from Wal Mart (comes with light, heater, filter) for like $49 bucks.
Put a couple of pvc pieces in your main aquarium for a couple of weeks (so that they will grow bacteria)
Take out 20 gallons of water from your main tank, along with pvc pieces and add to your qt tank.
Do water changes as needed in your QT tank by removing water from your main (works better the bigger your main is obviously... you don't want to pull too much water out of it)
Filtration for your Qt is really not that important as long as you can keep refreshing it from your main.

 

[1journeyman]

Also, I use PVC instead of rock because it is much easier to clean.... and, if you have a disease outbreack, just throw the pvc away, sterilize your tank, and go out and buy some more cheap pvc.

 

[snipe]

Use the QT info from beth. Very simple. I painted the bottom and used an old background I had put a light on a wooden stand I had and put on and old filter for filtration and water movement. Used some left over deco from my freshwater and wala instead QT.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
The easiest way I have found to do QT tank:
Go out and buy a 20 gallon aquarium set up from Wal Mart (comes with light, heater, filter) for like $49 bucks.
Put a couple of pvc pieces in your main aquarium for a couple of weeks (so that they will grow bacteria)
Take out 20 gallons of water from your main tank, along with pvc pieces and add to your qt tank.
Do water changes as needed in your QT tank by removing water from your main (works better the bigger your main is obviously... you don't want to pull too much water out of it)
Filtration for your Qt is really not that important as long as you can keep refreshing it from your main.
Hey there. Unfortunately, I am new and getting ready to set up my display tank now. I wanted to set up QT at the same time as to get the fish started in there.
So how do I do it now?
Also, you guys actually have a qt that you keep going forever??
I can't imagine having to keep it running as if it were used all the time..I thought I would use it in the beginning as I got fish and then once I had whatever I wanted..I would shut it down...that would stink if I have to keep it going. I don't have the space for it to begin with and have to put it on our kitchen counter for now.
Can't I shut it down and then if illness comes along and I have to treat..do a water change and put the water in the 20 gallon from my DT?
I hope you can help.
thanks a bunch...

 

[thegrog]

For smaller fish, a 10 gal tank works fine. For larger ones (tangs, angels, ect) then go with a 20.
For setup, I simply tape paper over the bottom and 3 sides. I use only a few peices of PVC and a few plastic plants for shelter. Reasoning for the paper (you can paint them too) is so the fish have a bottom they can see. Otherwise they feel like they are constantly in mid-water and this stresses them out greatly.
No need to cycle the tank. I have set one up and ran it in less than an hour before. Just will need to do 10% water changes every other day for a week or so.
For filtration, I use a simple HOT whisper filter. I go with the 30 model. That way it takes the same size filter pads as my main tank. Then I simply transfer the bio sponge filter from my main tank into the QT filter. I set up a simple sponge filter in the tank as well. The bacteria from the biosponge filter will colonize in the other sponge filter after only a few days. Be sure not to put any of the filters back into your main tank though!!! Using this setup, After every-other-day changes for a week, I do 10% water changes every 3-5 days. Never get an ammonia spike. Never lost a fish using this method either.
If you need to medicate, then most likely the biofiltration will be wiped out anyway and you will have to go back to EOD water changes. The PVC and plastic plants can be washed of any medications and reused.
The entire setup cost less than $40. Well worth the investment as I have never lost a fish to disease!!
Hope this helps!!

 

[birdy]

I have found it is much better to keep a QT going all the time, Biological filtration comes from stuff in the tank. So when you "set up" a QT each time you get a new fish you will have to go through some sort of cycle every time, even if you use water from the display tank.
The main reason for keeping a QT going all the time for me is that there always seems to be a need for one in an emergency situation where I don't have time to go through the cycling mess.
Certainly people do just set them up on a as needed basis but I think the water quality of the QT tank and the health of the fish are much better when it is an established tank.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Lennon
Hey there. Unfortunately, I am new and getting ready to set up my display tank now. I wanted to set up QT at the same time as to get the fish started in there.
So how do I do it now?
Also, you guys actually have a qt that you keep going forever??
I can't imagine having to keep it running as if it were used all the time..I thought I would use it in the beginning as I got fish and then once I had whatever I wanted..I would shut it down...that would stink if I have to keep it going. I don't have the space for it to begin with and have to put it on our kitchen counter for now.
Can't I shut it down and then if illness comes along and I have to treat..do a water change and put the water in the 20 gallon from my DT?
I hope you can help.
thanks a bunch...

But I dont have an established tank yet to get the sponges full of bacteria?

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Birdy
I have found it is much better to keep a QT going all the time, Biological filtration comes from stuff in the tank. So when you "set up" a QT each time you get a new fish you will have to go through some sort of cycle every time, even if you use water from the display tank.
The main reason for keeping a QT going all the time for me is that there always seems to be a need for one in an emergency situation where I don't have time to go through the cycling mess.
Certainly people do just set them up on a as needed basis but I think the water quality of the QT tank and the health of the fish are much better when it is an established tank.
thanks..that stinks though because I don't want to have to maintain 2 tanks..Does anyone eventually not have problems with their tanks...This is starting to get discouraging for a newbie like me...

 

[snipe]

I keep mine setup and just give it a flake no and then. You dont really have to maintain it just put a peice of food in there now and then. You dont have to do waterchanges only when you have a fish in there.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
I keep mine setup and just give it a flake no and then. You dont really have to maintain it just put a peice of food in there now and then. You dont have to do waterchanges only when you have a fish in there.

But you have to keep it on?

 

[snipe]

Just a heater and filter and feed it a few flakes like once a week. You dont have to do all the heavy maintence like on a reg aquarium. Only when there is a fish in there. And believe me it will keep parasites out of the tank.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
Just a heater and filter and feed it a few flakes like once a week. You dont have to do all the heavy maintence like on a reg aquarium. Only when there is a fish in there. And believe me it will keep parasites out of the tank.

Why the heater though? If there are no fish in there..can I just turn the heater when needed? I would think 20 gallons would get to the temperature rather quickly??
Thanks for the help. I truly appreciate it.

 

[snipe]

Well if you think about it. When you go to the pet store and come home your suppose to be able to temp acclimate. If you have to turn on the heater it will take even longer. And plus you will have to adjust it to get it right. Just best to leave it on dosnt hurt anything.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Snipe
Well if you think about it. When you go to the pet store and come home your suppose to be able to temp acclimate. If you have to turn on the heater it will take even longer. And plus you will have to adjust it to get it right. Just best to leave it on dosnt hurt anything.
Yes, I had planned to have it on for when I get fish..but after I am settled..that is when I didn't want to keep one going...just one more thing I have to keep on. Plus, I have limited space.

 

[lennon]

Originally Posted by Birdy
I have found it is much better to keep a QT going all the time, Biological filtration comes from stuff in the tank. So when you "set up" a QT each time you get a new fish you will have to go through some sort of cycle every time, even if you use water from the display tank.
.
Sorry if I sound dumb..I am new to this..BUT why would I have to go through a cycle if say when I need the QT..I just do a water change on the DT and put the water in there...isn't the DT water cycled already? I just don't get it

 

[snipe]

Well bacteria form on things like deco, rock or in the sand. So starting over fresh each time isnt really gonna help.