Qt/Ht How Many Do It How Many Dont

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by SWFISHFAN
...
now about my ocean remark, ther reason i used that as an example for anybody that has dove in there life at any type of reef will see many fish stick to one area of the reef, thats why we call our tanks a community because fish stay in one small area they feel comfortabel they dont roam the whole ocean... hence if one fish gets sick then the others get sick...
I have dove. How many sick fish do you see?
In the wild sick fish can't compete and die (either through predation or weakness). Again, in our tanks we artificially keep them alive, furthering the disease or illness.
Why QT? To avoid disease and parasites
Why not QT? Cost (very minimal) and time (again minimal).

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by SWFISHFAN
can you guarantee that after 1 month of having your fish in a qt tank he aint caring a parasite inside him? think about it? ...
Yes... to a very large degree. If a fish seems to be wasting away after being in my QT for a month I know something is not right.
4-6 weeks in QT gives you a very large window to observe the overall health of your fish.

 

[earlybird]

QT is the only way. Prevents headaches.

 

[renogaw]

btw, on the mandarins:
you don't generally qt them because of their diet, plus they cannot get ich. They may though have an internal parasite, or ich in their gills or where ever else their mucus covering doesnt touch, but mainly they are considered an ich free fish.

 

[al mc]

JPC I have 20 gallon cycled tank with HOB filter, single Maxijet 400 to circulate water, remora skimmer and T5 nova extreme light. All these items I had from older tanks whose size and equipment have been enlarged over time.

 

[rudedog40]

I'm one of the non-QTer's. Now, I'm a newbie to this hobby, and honestly didn't realize all the headaches I'd get into by starting a saltwater tank (OK veterans, let's here the flames - Shoulda researched first...). I was taken aback by the cost of just get my 'small' 55g tank operational. After spending hundreds of dollars on equipment, chemicals, LR, LS, and inverts, I'm told I should spend even more money to setup and maintain yet another tank that essentially will sit empty 90% of the time. It's bad enough spending at least two days a week checking 5 different chemical levels and keeping a DT clean, then I have to do it again in an empty tank?
I can say I have the classic example of having a QT. I did buy a 1" blue hippo from my LFS. The first thing they told me "Watch the hippo closely in the next week for white spots. If he gets them, you have ich and will have to treat it." Since I didn't have a QT, I went ahead and put him in. Sure enough, a week later, he gets white spots on him. Fortunately, it appears he's the only one who has it for now. So in this situation, yes having a QT would have kept me from introducing ich into my DT. But if I had a QT, then I'd have infected it with ich. So I'd spend 3 weeks doing hypo on the tang, maybe or maybe not fully killing the ich, then when I finally put the tang in my DT, I have a useless tank I can't put anything in for 6 weeks (gotta wait the 42 days of having a fishless tank to kill the ich). Yes the hypo should have killed the ich, but can you be 100% sure? But anytime you do find a disease in your new livestock, whether it's a fish or a coral, you'll have to treat your QT tank to get rid of that disease as well. Otherwise, the next piece of livestock you get, may contract whatever the previous livestock had when you QT'd it. Sounds like a viscious cycle to me. Not only do you have to monitor and ensure you don't infect your DT, you have to do the same for a QT. And I'm just a small time aquarist. What do these guys with 200g tanks do?

 

[jpc763]

I *was* a non QT person for all of the fish in my DT now. The cost was an issue, but honestly it was more that I wanted fish in my DT.
As far as the cost goes, I was shopping at the Super Wal..something in my area and came across this complete 5g hex system. Had everything included (lights, bio wheel) with the exception of a heater. $29.99 plus another $6 for a heater. Spend another $2-$3 on PVC fittings and I have a QT.
Cycling a 5g was challenging (more than my 55g) but now it is up and operational. It is not sufficient for corals, but it is fine for fish. Now that it is cycled, it is stable. As mentioned in my previous post, I have a lawnmower blennie in there 2.5 weeks into a 4-6 week QT. He is doing great.
I personally cannot believe that I was willing to risk all of my other fish, corals and inverts over a $40 tank and a few weeks to cycle.

 

[al mc]

Rudedog...This can be a fun, but time cosuming and expensive hobby. I wonder how many people last more than 2-3 years with SW fish?

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by rudedog40
I'm one of the non-QTer's. Now, I'm a newbie to this hobby, and honestly didn't realize all the headaches I'd get into by starting a saltwater tank (OK veterans, let's here the flames - Shoulda researched first...). I was taken aback by the cost of just get my 'small' 55g tank operational. After spending hundreds of dollars on equipment, chemicals, LR, LS, and inverts, I'm told I should spend even more money to setup and maintain yet another tank that essentially will sit empty 90% of the time. It's bad enough spending at least two days a week checking 5 different chemical levels and keeping a DT clean, then I have to do it again in an empty tank?
I can say I have the classic example of having a QT. I did buy a 1" blue hippo from my LFS. The first thing they told me "Watch the hippo closely in the next week for white spots. If he gets them, you have ich and will have to treat it." Since I didn't have a QT, I went ahead and put him in. Sure enough, a week later, he gets white spots on him. Fortunately, it appears he's the only one who has it for now. So in this situation, yes having a QT would have kept me from introducing ich into my DT. But if I had a QT, then I'd have infected it with ich. So I'd spend 3 weeks doing hypo on the tang, maybe or maybe not fully killing the ich, then when I finally put the tang in my DT, I have a useless tank I can't put anything in for 6 weeks (gotta wait the 42 days of having a fishless tank to kill the ich). Yes the hypo should have killed the ich, but can you be 100% sure? But anytime you do find a disease in your new livestock, whether it's a fish or a coral, you'll have to treat your QT tank to get rid of that disease as well. Otherwise, the next piece of livestock you get, may contract whatever the previous livestock had when you QT'd it. Sounds like a viscious cycle to me. Not only do you have to monitor and ensure you don't infect your DT, you have to do the same for a QT. And I'm just a small time aquarist. What do these guys with 200g tanks do?
The guys with large tanks just have a larger QT maybe a 30g and introduce fish one at a time after the QT session.

 

[srfisher17]

I'll bet this is the experience of many: I didn't QT until I had a disaster; now I QT everything, never any exceptions. There is no possible way to know if a perfect looking fish is carrying just one parasite. In the ocean, no big deal, in a tank--disaster. Remember the new fish , as well as its tankmates are going to be stressed to some degree when the new fish hits the DT. Stress=reduced immunity, add just one bug and you've got an overnight plague.

 

[rudedog40]

Originally Posted by Al Mc
JPC I have 20 gallon cycled tank with HOB filter, single Maxijet 400 to circulate water, remora skimmer and T5 nova extreme light. All these items I had from older tanks whose size and equipment have been enlarged over time.

Sounds like this shoots the 'inexpensive' piece out of setting up a QT tank. I picked up an empty 20g tank at the ***** sale for $20 (normally $40). Spent another $20 for a HOB filter. Still need to spend another $10 - $20 on a heater. But if I want to QT corals, I have to spend $60 minimum on a skimmer, $30 for a PH, and another $100 - $150 for a light? Now we're talking over $300 for another tank to sit around empty most of the time? Unfortunately, I'm a newbie that doesn't have the luxury of owning older equipment from smaller systems.
So what's the alternative to QTing a coral? You can't stick a new coral under a plain flourescent light for 3 weeks. And if a piece of coral you bought online was in a tank with a fish that had ich or some other disease, guess what, your QT theory is just a waste of time and money.

 

[reefkprz]

My QT is a 20g (yardsale $10) aquaclear HOB filter (same yardsale came with tank) heater came with tank (cheap Piece of crap but it works) I cut out the old silicone and resealed it (silicone $5) coralife 130w PC lighting unit (used) 100$ total QT tank cost $115, I set it up when i need it and store it away when i dont. since there is no substrate or LR there is no need to cycle I use an established sponge for biological and mechanical filtration (that I keep in the sump of my DT for filtration and rely on water changes to maintain water quality. I buy a new sponge and drop it in my sump and discard the one that I used in the QT) I feel I can safely put most corals in that tank for an extended period, less for SPS but a week or two on stuff as delicate as SPS is usually enough time. there is no need for a skimmer if your only QTing corals, there should be minimal protien input.

 

[rudedog40]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
My QT is a 20g (yardsale $10) aquaclear HOB filter (same yardsale came with tank) heater came with tank (cheap Piece of crap but it works) I cut out the old silicone and resealed it (silicone $5) coralife 130w PC lighting unit (used) 100$ total QT tank cost $115, I set it up when i need it and store it away when i dont. since there is no substrate or LR there is no need to cycle I use an established sponge for biological and mechanical filtration (that I keep in the sump of my DT for filtration and rely on water changes to maintain water quality. I buy a new sponge and drop it in my sump and discard the one that I used in the QT) I feel I can safely put most corals in that tank for an extended period, less for SPS but a week or two on stuff as delicate as SPS is usually enough time. there is no need for a skimmer if your only QTing corals, there should be minimal protien input.

Ok. Answer this. Based on what you do to QT your corals, can I do the same to QT my tang with ich? Meaning, I filled my empty 20g with water from my DT. I put a couple of honeycomb rock (dead rock from around my koi pond) in there for hiding places for the tang. Can I just grab the filters out of my DT Emperor 400 filter, stick them in the 20g, stick the tang in there, and do the hypo for 3 weeks without having to worry about a cycle? Or does a tank have to cycle to QT/HT fish in it? Guess that's where I'm confused about this QT tank thing. Why do I care if the tank isn't cycled if only one fish will be in there for 3 weeks at a time? Will a tank even cycle when the SG is down to 1.009? As little as you feed a single fish everyday, will there ever be an ammonia spike? If it did spike, woudn't a water change or throwing in some Amquel solve the problem for the short duration the fish will be in there?

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by rudedog40
Ok. Answer this. Based on what you do to QT your corals, can I do the same to QT my tang with ich? Meaning, I filled my empty 20g with water from my DT. I put a couple of honeycomb rock (dead rock from around my koi pond) in there for hiding places for the tang. Can I just grab the filters out of my DT Emperor 400 filter, stick them in the 20g, stick the tang in there, and do the hypo for 3 weeks without having to worry about a cycle? Or does a tank have to cycle to QT/HT fish in it? Guess that's where I'm confused about this QT tank thing. Why do I care if the tank isn't cycled if only one fish will be in there for 3 weeks at a time? Will a tank even cycle when the SG is down to 1.009? As little as you feed a single fish everyday, will there ever be an ammonia spike? If it did spike, woudn't a water change or throwing in some Amquel solve the problem for the short duration the fish will be in there?
A fish with ich is stressed enough IMO. Add ammonia and the stress increases. I don't know about the rock possibly leeching some element back into the tank that could be harmful. However, the use of a sponge that has been in your sump for I'd say over a month at the very least will help minimize the level of ammonia if not completely take care of it with no cycle at all. Just in case you do see a spike, just do a water change. I had so much water mixing during my hypo session that I just changed 1g every day regardless. That could be considered excessive but it worked for me. I didn't see any ammonia past week 1 and I used amquel when I first saw the spike.
There will be a cycle at 1.009 or any reading. It's the nitrogenous breakdown of waste from feeding and from fish poo.

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by rudedog40
Ok. Answer this. Based on what you do to QT your corals, can I do the same to QT my tang with ich? Meaning, I filled my empty 20g with water from my DT. I put a couple of honeycomb rock (dead rock from around my koi pond) in there for hiding places for the tang. Can I just grab the filters out of my DT Emperor 400 filter, stick them in the 20g, stick the tang in there, and do the hypo for 3 weeks without having to worry about a cycle? Or does a tank have to cycle to QT/HT fish in it? Guess that's where I'm confused about this QT tank thing. Why do I care if the tank isn't cycled if only one fish will be in there for 3 weeks at a time? Will a tank even cycle when the SG is down to 1.009? As little as you feed a single fish everyday, will there ever be an ammonia spike? If it did spike, woudn't a water change or throwing in some Amquel solve the problem for the short duration the fish will be in there?
I quarranteen my fish the same way I do my corals (except I run the lights a lot less to reduce stress on the fish (I use amquell to prevent toxic ammonia spikes while the tank is running. the established bacteria on your DT filterpads would be teh only thing that would really cycle as there is very little surface area to colonize in a bare tank, since they are already established then in effect the tank would not really cycle.
As for hiding places for the tang use PVC pipe of the appropriate size. you dont want to yank lava rock out of/around your koi pond the bacteria moss bugs on it will die off in the marine water causing a heck of a spike, and lava rock is filled with metals phosphorous, nitrate nitrogen, and stuff like that.

 

[mach03infront]

someone please explain what a coral dip is in detail....

 

[petjunkie]

Coral dips are just dips usually in saltwater with iodine or freshwater to scare out bad critters, I just bought a bunch of coral off a lady near me and threw together a empty 20 with an old pc light, filter off the main tank and some rock out of the main tank, so far I've found turf algea, bryopis, bubble algea, aips, and some other weird stinging polyp. I learned my lesson after I just dipped instead of qt and got flatworms, aips, bubble and zoo spiders. Still have the flatworms in one tank as a result. I think many people don't see the point until they rip down a tank with disease and hypo or copper everything for six weeks anyways, makes setting up a qt ahead of time seem obvious.