Quarantine Tank?Your Setup? Dirty Water

saltman123 · 05/02/2007, 01:33 PM

I have done Quarantine on wild zoanthings, mushrooms, and softies in the past. I have a small 5 gallon tank, heater, power head, light, and hang on back whisper type filter.

I've noticed that when keeping fish in the tank, the water gets super dirty, super fast. I had a fish die in my QT and was wondering if it was something in my setup, or if I am missing something?

I usually will run carbon in the hang on back filter. I once kept a sponge in the back of my display tank and then used that in the hang on back. I didn't have that sponge readily available so I went without it this time.

Was hoping to hear what YOU use in your QT setup so I can modify mine to be more successful. Any tips appreciated.

sufunk · 05/02/2007, 02:08 PM

I have a used 20g tank for a qt. I use my old penguin filter on it and a mj 1200 powerhead. The tank came with some cheap fluorescent lights and thats it. No heater as the powerhead and lights keep the tank between 78-80.

I do water changes every 3-4 days in the qt. Its a 20g so i usually do between 3-5 gallons on a water change. In your 5 gallon tank, the water probably gets dirty pretty quick so water changes are important. This is my first qt tank, but i have qt'd 7 fish in it now and so far so good.

saltman123 · 05/02/2007, 02:22 PM

Sufunk, what type of media do you run in your penguin filter?

The softies kept the water very clean, and I was doing one or two cups of water change. I even sometimes will pull the water directly out of my display tank to get the 2 tanks closer to each other slightly.

Anyone else have a small QT tank? Please share your daily and maintenance schedule.

Myka · 05/02/2007, 02:57 PM

My QT always grows diatoms, hair algae, and cyano. I don't care much because that stuff doesn't hurt the fish, and it uses up the nutrients that would otherwise be polluting the tank. I might be worried if I used the tank for QTing corals though. I just siphon out the cyano and hair algae when I do waterchanges. Since it is just growing on the glass it sucks right up, no scraping or anything.

My QT:

10 gal
Heater
2-20W CoraLife Mini 50/50 Compact Fluoros (screw in cheap type)
AquaClear Mini (with sponge that I take out of my display)

When I do a waterchange on the display I use the garbage water to do a waterchange on the QT. That way the water is almost identical in both tanks...making the trip from the QT to the display less stressful.

The params of the QT never even show that there is a fish in it. The Am, Ni, and Na are all 0.

ATP · 05/02/2007, 05:48 PM

Two twenty gallon QTs. Sponge filter, small powerhead for water movement, heater, Aqua C Remora skimmer, and Magnum HOT filter w/carbon. The second tank same, but no skimmer. Water changes as necessary; depends on the number of fish and their size.

I use the skimmer with fish that are bigger, if feeding a lot, etc. Basically, which ever tank has a higher bio load. I run the HOT w/carbon as needed. The skimmer and the HOT help a lot in keeping the water parameters in check.

05/02/2007, 01:33 PM	#1
saltman123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: CT Posts: 1,048	Quarantine Tank?Your Setup? Dirty Water I have done Quarantine on wild zoanthings, mushrooms, and softies in the past. I have a small 5 gallon tank, heater, power head, light, and hang on back whisper type filter. I've noticed that when keeping fish in the tank, the water gets super dirty, super fast. I had a fish die in my QT and was wondering if it was something in my setup, or if I am missing something? I usually will run carbon in the hang on back filter. I once kept a sponge in the back of my display tank and then used that in the hang on back. I didn't have that sponge readily available so I went without it this time. Was hoping to hear what YOU use in your QT setup so I can modify mine to be more successful. Any tips appreciated. __________________ 12 Gallon Aquapod. 4 Gallon Pico-Coming Soon Current Tank Info: 12 Gallon Aquapod

05/02/2007, 02:22 PM	#3
saltman123 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: CT Posts: 1,048	Sufunk, what type of media do you run in your penguin filter? The softies kept the water very clean, and I was doing one or two cups of water change. I even sometimes will pull the water directly out of my display tank to get the 2 tanks closer to each other slightly. Anyone else have a small QT tank? Please share your daily and maintenance schedule. __________________ 12 Gallon Aquapod. 4 Gallon Pico-Coming Soon Current Tank Info: 12 Gallon Aquapod

05/02/2007, 02:57 PM	#4
Myka Reefing since '93 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SK, Canada Posts: 2,436	My QT always grows diatoms, hair algae, and cyano. I don't care much because that stuff doesn't hurt the fish, and it uses up the nutrients that would otherwise be polluting the tank. I might be worried if I used the tank for QTing corals though. I just siphon out the cyano and hair algae when I do waterchanges. Since it is just growing on the glass it sucks right up, no scraping or anything. My QT: 10 gal Heater 2-20W CoraLife Mini 50/50 Compact Fluoros (screw in cheap type) AquaClear Mini (with sponge that I take out of my display) When I do a waterchange on the display I use the garbage water to do a waterchange on the QT. That way the water is almost identical in both tanks...making the trip from the QT to the display less stressful. The params of the QT never even show that there is a fish in it. The Am, Ni, and Na are all 0. __________________ ~ Mindy, SPS addict. Current Tank Info: 69 SPS (73 gal net) established July 1/15. (HBD Canada!) ATB 840, ATI 6-bulb dimmable. Fauna Marin balling lite method.

05/02/2007, 02:08 PM	#2
sufunk Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Davie, Florida Posts: 2,004	I have a used 20g tank for a qt. I use my old penguin filter on it and a mj 1200 powerhead. The tank came with some cheap fluorescent lights and thats it. No heater as the powerhead and lights keep the tank between 78-80. I do water changes every 3-4 days in the qt. Its a 20g so i usually do between 3-5 gallons on a water change. In your 5 gallon tank, the water probably gets dirty pretty quick so water changes are important. This is my first qt tank, but i have qt'd 7 fish in it now and so far so good.

05/02/2007, 05:48 PM	#5
ATP Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Louisville, CO Posts: 166	Two twenty gallon QTs. Sponge filter, small powerhead for water movement, heater, Aqua C Remora skimmer, and Magnum HOT filter w/carbon. The second tank same, but no skimmer. Water changes as necessary; depends on the number of fish and their size. I use the skimmer with fish that are bigger, if feeding a lot, etc. Basically, which ever tank has a higher bio load. I run the HOT w/carbon as needed. The skimmer and the HOT help a lot in keeping the water parameters in check.