Tips on a quarantine tank.

mariahcolleen · 04/24/2012, 05:08 PM

So I am going to set up a QT tank this weekend for my first saltwater fish and was wondering if I should cycle this tank too before adding fish or not? If not how do I keep an ammonia spike from killing/stressing everything? I was going to use an old 10 gal tank I have laying around. Any help is much appreciated.

aandfsoccr04 · 04/24/2012, 05:17 PM

I keep a filter pad in my display tank to build up the bacteria and also just use water from my display tank.

MarkGP · 04/24/2012, 05:36 PM

You don't have to cycle it. Some prefer not to. You will have to do daily large water changes to keep ammonia down.

EllieSuz · 04/24/2012, 05:50 PM

If you prep some kind of media (sponge, bio-balls, etc.) as aandfsoccr04 has suggested, you will not need to cycle the tank. Keep that media in your sump or display tank for a week or two to "seed" it. Seachem makes an ammonia badge that turns color in the presence of ammonia and I highly recommend you keep one in your QT tank. Do not quarantine a lot of fish at once, one or two at the most depending on the size of your QT. Do not put rock or sand in QT, but provide places for the fish to hide. A couple of pieces of PVC will work just fine. I always adjust the salinity of the QT to match the LFS and then match the salinity to my Display Tank through regular small water changes, using used water from the Display. By the time your six to eight weeks of quarantine are through, the water in each will match exactly and you won't have to acclimate your quarantined fish to the Display. You will never be sorry you quarantined your fish. It's the right thing to do.

Playa-1 · 04/24/2012, 06:59 PM

I use a seeded sponge filter from my sump. I will let it hang out in the sump for a couple of weeks before using it. Then when you transfer the sponge from the sump of the DT to the QT, it is seeded well enough to help process the Ammonia. I find it still necessary to make a couple of small water changes per week to keep everything happy. It's wise to keep a close eye on pH and Ammonia during the Qt process and be ready to make adjustments as necessary to keep the Qt stable.

mariahcolleen · 04/24/2012, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllieSuz

If you prep some kind of media (sponge, bio-balls, etc.) as aandfsoccr04 has suggested, you will not need to cycle the tank. Keep that media in your sump or display tank for a week or two to "seed" it. Seachem makes an ammonia badge that turns color in the presence of ammonia and I highly recommend you keep one in your QT tank. Do not quarantine a lot of fish at once, one or two at the most depending on the size of your QT. Do not put rock or sand in QT, but provide places for the fish to hide. A couple of pieces of PVC will work just fine. I always adjust the salinity of the QT to match the LFS and then match the salinity to my Display Tank through regular small water changes, using used water from the Display. By the time your six to eight weeks of quarantine are through, the water in each will match exactly and you won't have to acclimate your quarantined fish to the Display. You will never be sorry you quarantined your fish. It's the right thing to do.

You are so informative. That is exactly what I will do. I have seen several friends tanks get wiped out by a sick newcomer so I am always going to take the time to quarantine. These guys are just to darn expensive (and cute) to loose that way.

04/24/2012, 05:08 PM	#1
mariahcolleen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Alabama Posts: 100	Tips on a quarantine tank. So I am going to set up a QT tank this weekend for my first saltwater fish and was wondering if I should cycle this tank too before adding fish or not? If not how do I keep an ammonia spike from killing/stressing everything? I was going to use an old 10 gal tank I have laying around. Any help is much appreciated.

04/24/2012, 05:17 PM	#2
aandfsoccr04 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 3,561	I keep a filter pad in my display tank to build up the bacteria and also just use water from my display tank. __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef

04/24/2012, 05:50 PM	#4
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	If you prep some kind of media (sponge, bio-balls, etc.) as aandfsoccr04 has suggested, you will not need to cycle the tank. Keep that media in your sump or display tank for a week or two to "seed" it. Seachem makes an ammonia badge that turns color in the presence of ammonia and I highly recommend you keep one in your QT tank. Do not quarantine a lot of fish at once, one or two at the most depending on the size of your QT. Do not put rock or sand in QT, but provide places for the fish to hide. A couple of pieces of PVC will work just fine. I always adjust the salinity of the QT to match the LFS and then match the salinity to my Display Tank through regular small water changes, using used water from the Display. By the time your six to eight weeks of quarantine are through, the water in each will match exactly and you won't have to acclimate your quarantined fish to the Display. You will never be sorry you quarantined your fish. It's the right thing to do. __________________ "You can't learn this hobby one question at a time." (Mr. Tuskfish) Eileen Current Tank Info: I'm out of the hobby, but used to have a60 gal. reef, refugium in sump, Internal Mag 9 return, SC 302 skimmer, two Maxi-Jet 1200's modded, four bulb T5 Lighting, Reefkeeper Lite Controller with three PC4's, Little Fishes GFO reactor.

04/24/2012, 05:36 PM	#3
MarkGP Why do I do this? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bristol, RI Posts: 1,015	You don't have to cycle it. Some prefer not to. You will have to do daily large water changes to keep ammonia down.

04/24/2012, 06:59 PM	#5
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	I use a seeded sponge filter from my sump. I will let it hang out in the sump for a couple of weeks before using it. Then when you transfer the sponge from the sump of the DT to the QT, it is seeded well enough to help process the Ammonia. I find it still necessary to make a couple of small water changes per week to keep everything happy. It's wise to keep a close eye on pH and Ammonia during the Qt process and be ready to make adjustments as necessary to keep the Qt stable.