Setting up a Quarantine tank - ICH

[FB]

One of my clown fish had ICH. The spots have since disappeared. So I'm assuming the ICH is at the Tomont stage. I only have two clown's in my tank. But do have live rock, snails, crab and a shrimp.

I would like to setup a quarantine tank to help eliminate the ICH.

So I had a 30 gallon FW tank. Which is now a 30 gallon SW tank.

I still have a HOT Aquaclear power filter. The hood that came with the 30 gallon tank with standard fluorescent bulbs.

I can get another 30 gallon for $30.00 that will fit the filter and hood. But this is a larger tank and needs more space. I don't really want to go that big. So I will probably just buy the 10 gallon that is $10.00

The only thing I need would be a heater and a refractometer I assume.

So my question is -- From reading this board I know the QT tank has to cycle, and most recommend having a seeded filter pad. If I put a filter pad in the display tank to seed with bacteria could it not also pick up some ICH from the tank. If I used tank water for the QT tank could it not also have ICH.

Does this matter if I am going to do a hyposalinity treatment.

I am sure I have missed something. Please let me know.

Thanks

FB

 

[Anonymous]

Good to hear you are doing this.

The 10 gallon you set up will need some biofiltration. I have used a sponge filter before, but that is not the only way to do it.

You most deffinitely can take something from your tank and use it on the 10 gallon to bring in the bacteria and you most deffinitely can use the water from your main tank to fill the QT from the start. This is because the hypo will kill off any ich you bring in with a filter pad from your tank or the water you use...besides, the fish are bringing ich in already! Just because you don't see spots, doesn't mean there aren't parasites developing in the gills and under the skin where you can't easily notice them.

What you don't want to do is keep using your tank water to do water changes on the 10 gallon...ich dies in hypo, but I don't know if it is instant or it takes a few minutes...I wouldn't risk a parasite finding a fish and boring into the skin where it is safe from hypo. So after the initial set up, I wouldn't put anything from the main tank into that QT.


Since you are doing hypo and not copper or some other chemical, you can also use some sand or rock from your tank. I keep rocks in my sump which I use to start up a QT with no cycle period at all. I can buy a fish the day I set up the QT and the rocks provide the biofilter with no need for a seeded filter pad. And its just hypo, the rocks go back in my tank clean. I know it is better to have a bare bottom QT, but in a pinch, without an already seeded filter, some sand and rock from your tank will do the trick.

You've pretty much got it all down. All you need is the heater to keep a stable temp for the fish and the refractometer to get accurate readings for the hypo. You've got the hang on filter to keep the water clean, you'll do something for biofilter (either something from your tank or a filter pad or sponge you toss in your tank for a while). I can't think of anything else you need.


Oh yeah...you can also plop some bio balls from your main tank (if you use them) into the QT for biofiltration. I do that too at the start of the QT period.