QT Question

florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Fretfreak13
http:///forum/post/3136485
Cool, first thread I've ever had that actually started a heated debate. xD
So here's where I'm at. 10 gallon tank. HOB filter with chemipure. PVC tubing for hiding places (could I maybe use base rock instead?), small heater. Bare bottom, no LR, no inverts.
what type of stand do you have for this tank ?
 
gio28

gio28

Active Member
not to get off topic...but would this work for a QT that can be set up and taken down (not permanent)?:
you have an extra sponge filter in your sump or somewhere to allow the bacteria to colonize it...then you just fill the QT with DT water and add the sponge. this way the bacteria are already established and you can just add some PVC and the fish that will be QT. would'nt that be as simple as it gets for someone who wants a quick QT? i might do this...if its ok...
i would still do normal WCs, have a heater, and a HOB filter for the sponge to run in.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by gio28
http:///forum/post/3136645
not to get off topic...but would this work for a QT that can be set up and taken down (not permanent)?:
you have an extra sponge filter in your sump or somewhere to allow the bacteria to colonize it...then you just fill the QT with DT water and add the sponge. this way the bacteria are already established and you can just add some PVC and the fish that will be QT. would'nt that be as simple as it gets for someone who wants a quick QT? i might do this...if its ok...
i would still do normal WCs, have a heater, and a HOB filter for the sponge to run in.
BINGO
You would have to just make sure the filter material is in an area of nutrient rich water flow
 
gio28

gio28

Active Member
sweet! sounds easy and cost effective to me...
the only spare tank is have is a 5 gallon...which wont suffice for larger fish. i guess i might have to go buy a bigger one. would the 5 be ok for clown gobies? or another fish if i get it small when its still a baby?
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by gio28
http:///forum/post/3136645
not to get off topic...but would this work for a QT that can be set up and taken down (not permanent)?:
you have an extra sponge filter in your sump or somewhere to allow the bacteria to colonize it...then you just fill the QT with DT water and add the sponge. this way the bacteria are already established and you can just add some PVC and the fish that will be QT. would'nt that be as simple as it gets for someone who wants a quick QT? i might do this...if its ok...
i would still do normal WCs, have a heater, and a HOB filter for the sponge to run in.
This is the "way to do it" I was commenting about in my earlier post. The method works like a champ. I use ceramic rings myself, but sponges work too. You can then boil them and return them to the sump of your DT when done - unless you've used meds, in which case it's probably safest to throw them out and start with fresh media.
As for the size of your QT... it's a balancing act. The larger the QT, the more stable it will be and the less impact any fluctuating levels as a result of it being a "new" system will have. However, the larger the QT, the more expensive medications cost to treat the tank.
Personally, I have a 10g and a 20g that I have around for the purpose. 10g is what I use for most purposes, but I set up a 20g if I am doing something large like a tang. What's nice is that most "pill" meds are in 10g increments, which works well for both 10 and 20g tanks.
 
gio28

gio28

Active Member
cool thanks for the input, i think i will go with the 5 or 10 since i have smaller fish that arent active i plan to get. i guess i will go with whatever media is cheaper since bacteria will grow on it regardless...+ or - a little on how good the media is. i would have forgot to throw it away after treating with meds...you possibly saved me in the future lol.
 
fretfreak13

fretfreak13

Active Member
Flordia Joe: It's just a makeshift wooden stand that I made. Pretty darn sturdy though. Fits a ten on top and bottom.
Everyone else: So, do you have to let the QT sit for any ammount of time? What if I knew I was going to the store to get a fish, and before I left set the tank up with DT water, the filter (with the spnoge that was sitting in the sump), and then put the new fish in there right when I got home? Nothing else really needed? Also, as I asked before, can you use Base Rock as a hiding spot instead of PVC?
 
gio28

gio28

Active Member
you should put in the water, sponge w/ hob filter, pvc, heater, and get it all running before you go. then just acclimate the fish into the QT and our done...except for small WCs now and then.
i would use PVC cause the fish can actually go into it and feel very safe, compared to rock where you just hide behind it. try both, i dont see a problem w/ base rock...
 
fretfreak13

fretfreak13

Active Member
Aweh, I always love looking at your cute little horses, Cranberry. I've always loved them, but there's no way I'm getting myself into that expensive heartache quite yet. Thanks for all the help, guys. I'm off to buy a new sponge filter. *only has HOBs now after Betta died*
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Just a few things to remember. There is no 100 percent guarantee that the filter material has a colony of nitrifying bacteria so have a product like prime on hand and test as soon as you introduce your new fish.
The reason I asked about the stand is that some people use a stand that just supports the perimeter of the tank. in other words you can look into the tank and see the floor. This believe it or not can stress out the fish. Thinking it can swim unobstructed to the bottom or swimming to get what it may believe is a piece of food suspending in the water column only to swim head first into the bottom of the tank
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
My QT tanks were never cycled. I cleaned them too well for there to be much in the way of beneficial bacteria. You can see on the right hand side on the top over the top of the tank, little pieces of rigid tubing with blue lines... they were my water change tubing. I would select how much water I wanted to remove (1-5g) and would hook up the airline tubing to that corresponding rigid tubing. I would start the siphon and walk away and would only remove what I wanted it to. I could change water twice daily in a hot second without getting my hands wet. You don't even want to know how long I did this for.... I don't even want to remember. I think I developed an alter personality to help me forget the ordeal.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3137095
Just a few things to remember. There is no 100 percent guarantee that the filter material has a colony of nitrifying bacteria so have a product like prime on hand and test as soon as you introduce your new fish.
This is good advice. I also add a few drops of prime directly to the bag the moment I open it to knock down the ammonia spike that can occur when the contents are exposed to air.
IMO every aquarist should have some among his other contingency items. I'd also add Maracyn I and II (because most illnesses that require these meds kill so fast you don't often have time go to the store), and a bottle of Para Guard.
Remember that fish get sick far before they often show symptoms, and often, when symptoms show up (velvet comes to mind), the fish is so close to being a lost cause, you don't have time to go running around trying to find meds - IF you are lucky enough to discover it during business hours.
Every serious hobbyist should have the required equipment and meds ON HAND.
 
fretfreak13

fretfreak13

Active Member
Along with the beginning of the SW journey comes learning about meds. I havn't gotten that far yet. I think the only one I even know about is Prime, which isn't even a med. XP There should be a thread (stickied of course) listing good medications, prices, and uses.
 
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