welcome new aquariists

[fshhub]

SORRY SO LONG, but
hello, and welcome, one thing i wish to tell to all, is the importance of having a quarentine tank, these are vital tools, that we should all have and really do need to get started, they are very inexpensive to build, you may use very cheap equipment, but we all need them, i admit i have never had one until recently but i thank my lucky rabbits foot for the fact that i never needed one too,
it seems like almost daily we see a problem where someone needs or could benefit from the advatages of having one(not singling anyone or group), but in sw this is a manditory piece of equipment, almost as imprtant as having water, please be sure to set one up it could save you a great deal one day, especially if you need to take care of a fish, we do not have the luxury here of having meds that are truly safe and effective in sw(like in fw)
for the price and hassle, belive me there is nothing that should be higher on our listt of things to do(not even the fish)
and this is not a luxury, all you need is a small tank and cheap filter, nothing to view , but the most important tool we will ever purchase
i hate to beat a dead horse, but this is as important as i am saying and even if it is never needed for anything other than to make sure fish coming into your main tank don't have a disease, it is more than worth the cost, and believe me, almost every day there is at least one or 2 people who come looking for help that a Q' tank would either have prevented, or would be a great help with at that time
again, not lecturing anyone, jsut pointing out to all that we need these tools, PLEASE get one before stocking all these beautiful fishes, you will come to love your fihs, nd don't wait til thento try to save them do it before you need it

 

[sandy]

I am in LOVE with this new hobby! Thanks for everything fshub. Sandy = Newbie

 

[phoenixofthepyre]

I am a 14 year old aquarist and im loving it i got my tank (72. bowfront)last year and i have had lots of fun... Plus my dad is a aquarium amintenece guy so i get corals and stuff at wholesale prices thx for the advice fishhub

 

[superman]

What should a QT consist of in total. A friend told me that a 10 gal with fileter should be good. What about sand and rock. and should it be live.

 

[whipple]

No sand no rock just a heater and a filter and stable water.

 

[iswimwithmyfish]

i agree. my quarantine totaled up to about $35-45 and it has saved alot. definately good to invest in

 

[fshhub]

water, filter and light(nothein special) and somewhere for them to hide
a piece of 3 inch or better pvc pipe will work fine, but no rock or sand
oooops, i forgotthe heater

 

[k.lee]

w3rd, don't beat me. Don't rush new aquarists, saltwater is relatively easy, depending on what you want to own/ keep alive.

Edit: But in tanks, besides space limitations, one of the main ingredients to sucess, IMO, is knowing which species go together. The aquarist must know this, old or new.
Lee

 

[fshhub]

thanks for not being brash and contradicting me, i appreciate it, since this was supposed ot be advice and GOOD advice for new comers to the hobby
one of the most over looked and helpful tools

 

[k.lee]

Originally posted by fshhub:
<strong>thanks for not being brash and contradicting me, i appreciate it, since this was supposed ot be advice and GOOD advice for new comers to the hobby
one of the most over looked and helpful tools</strong><hr></blockquote>
Why would I do that?

 

[stupid_naso]

fshhub, I'd like to get a q tank, but my tank is ten gallon, so getting another ten gallon is like having another aquarium. Also, where can you get a tank setup for $45? Including the lights, filter, and heater? If it is $45, I might consider that sometimes in the future, not for now. I know it's important but money is limited .
btw, me = newbie
sebae_the_clown

 

[fshhub]

wal mart speceial, they are around 50 for everything, all you need extra is the pvc or some shelter
nothing special, no special lights, not special filter or anythign, just a plain box filter

 

[superman]

I can get you a hook up at my local lfs 10 gal and filter for 7$. I dont know the price for heater, and lights are cheap.

 

[blackdog]

Thanks, fshhub, for the good advice. I'm realizing how important the Q tank is after reading about all the things that can happen to the fish, and how quickly it can go downhill.
My problem is that space is limited in my apartment, and a 10 gallon tank (just barely) doesn't fit in a standard All-Glass cabinet for a 55 gallon tank. Can a Q tank reasonably be done using a 5.5 gallon tank? I'm trying to figure out the best way to fit everything I need under the tank in the cabinet. For water changes, I have a Rubbermaid 24-qt trash bin into which I pour mixed water from a gas can, then heat and circulate it for a day or so, then pump it up into the display. I'm trying to do something similar for top-off water. Trying to keep the water sloshed onto the living room floor to an absolute minimum.
Also, I'm not understanding how you get water in the Q tank that isn't succeptible to Ammonia spike. You start with water from an already cycled tank, but there's nothing in the Q tank that biologically filters the water. And you don't want to use charcoal if you're putting meds in the tank, do you? Do you just keep doing frequent small water changes with new mixed water?

 

[thewolfman777]

that is a good post from blackdog where i have similar q's. fshhub, can you elaborate on how to set up a q tank. how long do you keep a fish in the QT. this is an area of where i do not understand how it works besides treating a fish. what happens if a fish has a disease? i know you treat it but what about the meds you put into the tank? do you have to do a massive water change after the disease? is there different sg needed to combat diseases in the QT? actually instead of wasting your time can you direct me to a good site to read up on this? thanks... <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" /> <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" /> <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[kris walker]

Since fshhub has taken the time to make this post and hopefully convince us all it is worth the time, money, and space, can I suggest that if you are going to QT all newcoming fish, then do so in hyposaline conditions (salinity = 1.009) and for 2-4 weeks.
As Terry has informed me from the things he's researched and/or read, hyposaline water is not stressful to fish. In fact, using copper is stressful (it damages the gill tissue). It is counterintuitive to me, but that's apparently the fact.
kris

 

[blackdog]

Another question about quarantining. Is it necessary to quarantine fish if they are the first ones being added to the tank? My plan is to add 1-2 clowns (not sure which type yet) and 4-5 chromis in a month or two once things are settled and a cleanup crew is established. I'm planning to pick up the fish at the store (*****) when they come from the supplier before they even get put into the store's tanks.
Thanks,
Dave
(55 gal)

 

[fshhub]

ok,
i'll try to answer as many as i possibly can,
1st, theoretically it is not necessary to quarentine teh 1st fish, but i would, because, what would happen, if you have gotten fish that were infected or diseased, then you may be able to treat them , but if you need to use meds at all, you will probably get them into your substrate as well as the water, and if you use anything with copper, then it would require your needing to replace the substrate(very few if any inverts can tolerate copper)
you do not get water in there that is not susceptible to the ammonia spike, but using tank water can help, you should IMO cycle the q tank too, using filters or rock from an existing tank(use the rock only to cycle with, then return) to speed up the process, some people also use (deli)shrimp to keep the bacteria in the water
i would definitely keep the fish in there a minimum of 2 weeks, but personally i think 4 is best, and use hypo for new fish, thanks KRIS
as far as hypo for all disease, no it is not going to be the method used for all, but for ick, which will be the most common problem, yes
and do you need to do a massive water change, if you use meds, or have a severe case of some disease whhich you are not comfortable with, yes, by all means, change it, it is not a big deal, since at that time there should be no fish in it anyway, and for most people you are only taliking about 10 ro 20 gallons(you do not need a large q tank)
and sebae, i agree with the fact that you only have 10 agllon, but what if you got a problem, do you leave your sebae in the tank with your anemones and corals, and treat it there?, do you have a sump??, not knocking you, but the one time you need it, you may be grateful you had it, these things too should cycle, so you cannnot move the fish in 15 minutes
HTH and if i missed anything please let me know, i will try to answer, i am not the guru of quarentining but i and others will try to help, it is just that this is soooooooo helpful and important of a tool
wolfman, i will see if i can find a good link for you to refer to, but for now, jsut ask if you need something

 

[demodan]

fshhub, I only wish I got that advice $200.00 ago, I had a spare tank to use. Never thought of it until I saw people on this site talk about it, by then it was too late. I was used to fresh water, bad things happen a lot more slowly in the fw tank. <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />