QT/Hopsital Tank Question

Kdocimo90 · 07/20/2008, 01:02 AM

Is it ok to have live rock and sand in a QT/Hospital tank?

ihavtats29 · 07/20/2008, 01:14 AM

it is but if you dose with copper you will not be able to put any inverts in there

nmbeg · 07/20/2008, 01:19 AM

not really......

if you will be dosing meds in the tank, you are going to kill off the live rock and sand anyway.

if you plan on treating ich, you don't want to have sand, because that's where ich lives and hides.

here's a good article:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

tmz · 07/20/2008, 01:24 AM

There is no reason to have it and it will make dosing meds difficult since it will absorb some of them (copper for example). If,however you are qting a fish that needs sand such as some wrasses you can put a bowl of it in for them and remove it if you need to medicate.

Kdocimo90 · 07/20/2008, 01:28 AM

ok.. thank you all.

otrlynn · 07/20/2008, 07:03 AM

You didn't ask about this but I'll just put my two cents in... I think the most challenging thing about a hospital or QT is keeping the ammonia in check. This is dependent upon the size of the tank, the number of inhabitants, whether you used some sort of "seeded" material etc. But remember, if you don't have the benefit of the biological filter offered by the live rock, there is great potential for the ammonia to rise quickly. IMO those ammonia badges are not all that sensitive. They work, but not before you have a significant amount of ammonia. Plan to test the water frequently (daily is best) and do frequent water changes. On a 29 gallon hospital tank with 4 fish, I needed to do 10-20% water changes every other day.

kevin2000 · 07/20/2008, 12:22 PM

A bare bottom QT is easier to keep clean .. and left over food and fish debris tends to create ammonia issues which is probably the number one killer of fish in a QT. I paint the outside bottom of my QT white which gives it a better look .. also lets me spot debris which makes it easy to remove with a turkey baster.

07/20/2008, 01:02 AM	#1
Kdocimo90 Superior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 6,175	QT/Hopsital Tank Question Is it ok to have live rock and sand in a QT/Hospital tank?

07/20/2008, 01:14 AM	#2
ihavtats29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: cordova , TN Posts: 2,882	it is but if you dose with copper you will not be able to put any inverts in there __________________ got reef? Current Tank Info: 29 biocube HQI

07/20/2008, 01:24 AM	#4
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	There is no reason to have it and it will make dosing meds difficult since it will absorb some of them (copper for example). If,however you are qting a fish that needs sand such as some wrasses you can put a bowl of it in for them and remove it if you need to medicate. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

07/20/2008, 01:28 AM	#5
Kdocimo90 Superior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 6,175	ok.. thank you all. __________________ ¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯) VISIT MY HOME PAGE (¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸ ¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯)¸.•´¯) TO SEE MY 210G TANK (¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸(¯´•.¸ -Kevin Current Tank Info: 210 Gallon Softy/LPS Reef Tank

07/20/2008, 07:03 AM	#6
otrlynn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chester County PA Posts: 1,508	You didn't ask about this but I'll just put my two cents in... I think the most challenging thing about a hospital or QT is keeping the ammonia in check. This is dependent upon the size of the tank, the number of inhabitants, whether you used some sort of "seeded" material etc. But remember, if you don't have the benefit of the biological filter offered by the live rock, there is great potential for the ammonia to rise quickly. IMO those ammonia badges are not all that sensitive. They work, but not before you have a significant amount of ammonia. Plan to test the water frequently (daily is best) and do frequent water changes. On a 29 gallon hospital tank with 4 fish, I needed to do 10-20% water changes every other day. __________________ Lynn 1 horse, 1 dog, 2 cats, small pond with a few koi. The fish tank is gone.

07/20/2008, 01:19 AM	#3
nmbeg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 894	not really...... if you will be dosing meds in the tank, you are going to kill off the live rock and sand anyway. if you plan on treating ich, you don't want to have sand, because that's where ich lives and hides. here's a good article: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

07/20/2008, 12:22 PM	#7
kevin2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,805	A bare bottom QT is easier to keep clean .. and left over food and fish debris tends to create ammonia issues which is probably the number one killer of fish in a QT. I paint the outside bottom of my QT white which gives it a better look .. also lets me spot debris which makes it easy to remove with a turkey baster.