Temprary QT tank

[Dmitry]

I'm getting ready to add another fish to my tank (have 2 Clowns so far) and definitely want to quarrantine the fish before putting it into the main tank. All space will allow is a 5.5 gallon - I think a Royal Gramma or a Six-Line Wrasse should be ok in there for a couple of weeks, right? I can't reallyt keep a permanent QT tank, so what are people's suggestions for a temprary one? I don't want to cycle it - it would take forever and seems like it's not worth the trouble for just a couple of weeks. I assume daily water changes (a gallon or so?) should keep the tank from cycling once the fish is in there. I have a HOB AquaClear filter (I only put the foam in there, no carbon, but could put in biomax), a heater, a PVC pipe for hiding. I filled it with water from my main tank since the readings in there were good. When replacing the water, should I be replacing it with newly mixed water or keep taking from my main tank?? Anything else you guys would suggest??

 

[bad coffee]

If you started the tank with some old tank water, you have started the bacteria in the QT. So just keep lots of pvc hiding places, and change the water with new salt water. No need to keep pumping in dirty water.

GL

 

[jhale]

I have two products I use when setting up a qt.
bactor vital from marc weiss, and stability from seachem. I use them both.
the best thing to do is run a air foam filter in your sump for a few weeks prior to setting up the qt. you could just keep one running full time for qt or hospital tank emergancies. this will be an instantly primed filter, you should get no cycle this way. there's not too much bacteria in old water, however it is better to use tank water rather than mix up new water to throw the fish into.

 

[jhale]

good qt reading

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=524523

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.htm

 

[marrone]

Anytime I have had to setup a quartine tank all I ever did was mix new water and run either a filter or a pump in the tank or container, making sure that there was good water breakage. I was then place the fish in the tank or container and would try not to feed to much. This would last over 2 weeks, which usally is the quartine period without any problems. If I saw some problem or feed to much than I would do a water change.

This has always worked any I never had to worry about setting up a biology filter. The tanks was fine for the quartine period.

Currently I had a 5gal tank and when I do water changes from my reef tank, which is weekly, I fill up the tank with the water. I have a pump in there and if I wanted to quartine a small fish the tank is ready to go. The water coming out of the reef tank is pretty good, very low if any nitrates.

If your worried about ammonia problem you can run Nitrex in the filter and this will take care of any nitrites and ammonia.

 

[jenniebutterfly]

do not stick a 6 line in a 5.5 unless you have it tightly covered. they are open water swimmers and are known to jump!!!!!!

 

[Dmitry]

Well, I got my Royal Gramma in there. As I said, I initially filled the tank with main aquarium water. I have a HOB AquaClear filter running (with the foam insert) and a power-head. (Plus heater.) I put the fish in yesterday afternoon. Early this morning I changed about half a gallon of water and will replace another half later tonight. Are Royal Grammas swimmers? She/he spent all day yesterday pretty much in one spot on the bottom and was in that same area this morning (it was 7am, so the fish was probably still swimming - there were no lights on anywhere.)

BTW, why do people not recommend feeding a new fish for at least 24hrs after adding it to a tank??

 

[marrone]

The Royal Gramma, like all Basslet, like to hide in the rock work. So if you can put a piece of rock or maybe pvc pipe in the tank that will give him a place to hide in.

Alot of time the fish is stressed out from all the moving and some people want to give the fish a chance to settle in before feed it. It also really depends on the fish as some fish eat right away, like triggers and groupers, while other fish need to settle in first before they start to eat.

 

[Dmitry]

I have a PVC pipe and a fake tree log decoration in the tank, but the Gramma didn't go into either one of them. She's just sitting on the bottom of the tank staring out the "window."