proposed QT/Hospital all in one tank setup idea

MC Lighting · 12/17/2006, 02:14 PM

Ok so my uncle getting jelous that I have a 55g freshwater and now the 180 reef wanted to upgrade his FW tank so we found a deal on Craigslist and I treked out to go get it. When I picked it up he also asked me if I knew anyone that wanted a 30 gal tank, so for $25 I brought it home thinking I would do something with it.

So here is my idea please tell me if it is flawed...

I want to split the tank into two completly isolated sections with a piece of glass down the middle, one side being a QT and the other being a Hospital/Isolation tank that way if I have an outbreak of somthng I can treat it as that side would be BB and just PVC in it the other side could have a small amount of LR and some sand.

He also gave me 3 hang on Topfin power filters and I thought I could run one on each section just on the QT side remove the carbon from the bags. Anyone want to tell me this is a bad idea?

MC Lighting · 12/17/2006, 10:59 PM

I guess nobody likes me I never get those pages of response like the big guys on the site

Anyways I just thought maybe someone would have either done this or had some thoughts on whether it is a good or bad idea before I sell the tank... Thanks for ANYONE that is willing to reply

bassettmd · 12/17/2006, 11:16 PM

I see absolutely no problem with running a set up like this as long as there will be no water exchange between the two partitions of the tank.

sammy33 · 12/17/2006, 11:20 PM

I think it is an excellent idea to have a quarantine tank. Just think about what you plan to quarantine in there and for how long? If you are planning on holding new fish for several weeks they may be more comfy with the full 30g, especially larger fish like tangs.

The hang on filter would come in handy for running carbon. A small hang on skimmer would also be beneficial. You could keep some extra peices of live rock in your sump that you could move in to the QT for extended stays. A heater and thermometer would complete the package.

The hospital idea is good too, but I would think that the full 30g would better than going through the trouble of putting a baffle in the tank?

catdoc · 12/17/2006, 11:35 PM

The problem I see would be if you have a sick fish in the hospital tank at the same time as a healthy fish in QT. The chances of contraminated water splashing over the divider seems pretty high. I keep my QT tank in another room altogether b/c I'm worried about contamination of my main tank (which completely defeats the purpose of a QT tank).

MC Lighting · 12/17/2006, 11:37 PM

Thanks guys this is the kind of info I was hoping for ok then I will just clena out the tank really well and set it up as a QT tank, should I go ahead and fill it with water now or wait right until I need it, I do have a extra heater but to be honest I already have 1000 watts of heaters running as it is and hate to add another one to sit in an empty tank, could I just have it running with the water at room temperature until I need it then turn on the heater? The mor eI think about it the more I am thinking about one of those roof top solar pool heaters to heat my tanks...

Hop · 12/18/2006, 02:57 AM

Keep a filter sponge for a HOB filter in your current sump. Then when you need the q-tank, you get it out of the closet, dust it off, fill it with water from your tank while you do a 30 gallon water change in your main tank, add the heater and get the filter going with the filter sponge from your sump (it will have the needed bacteria now). As time goes on, it is likely that you will not need a q-tank very often and keeping the sponge or filter media primed in the sump is a great way to be ready in a snap

12/17/2006, 02:14 PM	#1
MC Lighting Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WA Posts: 351	proposed QT/Hospital all in one tank setup idea Ok so my uncle getting jelous that I have a 55g freshwater and now the 180 reef wanted to upgrade his FW tank so we found a deal on Craigslist and I treked out to go get it. When I picked it up he also asked me if I knew anyone that wanted a 30 gal tank, so for $25 I brought it home thinking I would do something with it. So here is my idea please tell me if it is flawed... I want to split the tank into two completly isolated sections with a piece of glass down the middle, one side being a QT and the other being a Hospital/Isolation tank that way if I have an outbreak of somthng I can treat it as that side would be BB and just PVC in it the other side could have a small amount of LR and some sand. He also gave me 3 hang on Topfin power filters and I thought I could run one on each section just on the QT side remove the carbon from the bags. Anyone want to tell me this is a bad idea? __________________ DSA 105g Rimless w/ 40g breeder sump, SWC skimmer, dual Ecotech Radion G3 Pro LED, Ecotech MP10DQ, EcoTech M1, Neptune Apex Current Tank Info: 105 DSA Rimless Reef

12/17/2006, 10:59 PM	#2
MC Lighting Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WA Posts: 351	I guess nobody likes me I never get those pages of response like the big guys on the site Anyways I just thought maybe someone would have either done this or had some thoughts on whether it is a good or bad idea before I sell the tank... Thanks for ANYONE that is willing to reply __________________ DSA 105g Rimless w/ 40g breeder sump, SWC skimmer, dual Ecotech Radion G3 Pro LED, Ecotech MP10DQ, EcoTech M1, Neptune Apex Current Tank Info: 105 DSA Rimless Reef

12/17/2006, 11:20 PM	#4
sammy33 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 346	I think it is an excellent idea to have a quarantine tank. Just think about what you plan to quarantine in there and for how long? If you are planning on holding new fish for several weeks they may be more comfy with the full 30g, especially larger fish like tangs. The hang on filter would come in handy for running carbon. A small hang on skimmer would also be beneficial. You could keep some extra peices of live rock in your sump that you could move in to the QT for extended stays. A heater and thermometer would complete the package. The hospital idea is good too, but I would think that the full 30g would better than going through the trouble of putting a baffle in the tank? __________________ Sam Current Tank Info: 125g Reef (TEK/IceCap T5 & TLP LEDs, Tunze 6055/Controller, Reef Octopus NWB200, ReefDoser Quad)

12/17/2006, 11:35 PM	#5
catdoc Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bloomington, IN Posts: 1,449	The problem I see would be if you have a sick fish in the hospital tank at the same time as a healthy fish in QT. The chances of contraminated water splashing over the divider seems pretty high. I keep my QT tank in another room altogether b/c I'm worried about contamination of my main tank (which completely defeats the purpose of a QT tank). __________________ Christy Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. -George Eliot Current Tank Info: 55 gallon w/spawning onyx percs, bangaii pair & pink spotted goby w/ gbta, softies

12/17/2006, 11:37 PM	#6
MC Lighting Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: WA Posts: 351	Thanks guys this is the kind of info I was hoping for ok then I will just clena out the tank really well and set it up as a QT tank, should I go ahead and fill it with water now or wait right until I need it, I do have a extra heater but to be honest I already have 1000 watts of heaters running as it is and hate to add another one to sit in an empty tank, could I just have it running with the water at room temperature until I need it then turn on the heater? The mor eI think about it the more I am thinking about one of those roof top solar pool heaters to heat my tanks... __________________ DSA 105g Rimless w/ 40g breeder sump, SWC skimmer, dual Ecotech Radion G3 Pro LED, Ecotech MP10DQ, EcoTech M1, Neptune Apex Current Tank Info: 105 DSA Rimless Reef

12/17/2006, 11:16 PM	#3
bassettmd Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NorthEast Posts: 710	I see absolutely no problem with running a set up like this as long as there will be no water exchange between the two partitions of the tank.

12/18/2006, 02:57 AM	#7
Hop Carpe Noctem!!! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 8,548	Keep a filter sponge for a HOB filter in your current sump. Then when you need the q-tank, you get it out of the closet, dust it off, fill it with water from your tank while you do a 30 gallon water change in your main tank, add the heater and get the filter going with the filter sponge from your sump (it will have the needed bacteria now). As time goes on, it is likely that you will not need a q-tank very often and keeping the sponge or filter media primed in the sump is a great way to be ready in a snap __________________ Hop Current Tank Info: 300-gallon in-wall system (mixed reef)