QT Tank setup questions

[Neko]

I've been looking into what I need for a QT tank for my saltwater fish. For a freshwater QT I've got a sponge filter running in my guppy tank to season, but I only have a 10gal saltwater tank and no room to run a sponge filter like I've seen suggested.

I am running a Penguin (I think) Biowheel filter in my saltwater tank. Can I get a second one, and exchange the biowheel and the filter media? Would it help if I used a piece of live rock from my main tank in the QT to keep the ammonia down?

If I order some soft coral that comes on those plugs, do those need to be quarantined? Can I attach it to the rock it's going to go on in the main tank and put the whole thing in the QT?

Quarantining freshwater fish seem so much less complicated Thanks for the help!

[lordofthereef]

You can surely use the biowheel as you suggest doing.

[IslandCrow]

Depending on what you're keeping in your QT, a biowheel should be fine. I always just used an Aquaclear Powerfilter on my QT, but it's basically the same thing. It just used ceramic rings instead of the wheel. Of course, I supplemented this with doing 15-20% water changes twice per week. In a 10g tank, that takes about 5 minutes at most. I'd pass on using rock. It's fine if the tank is only used for quarantine, but if the fish gets sick during that period and you end up having to medicate, that live rock may not be so live anymore. . .and depending on the medication, it may not be useable in a reef tank ever again.

Anyway, I don't know much about quarantine for freshwater fish, but it shouldn't be too difficult for saltwater either. Some minimal filtration, a small powerhead for circulation, regular water changes and a couple pieces of large PVC so the fish have somewhere to hide is all it takes.

[reice05]

Im just confused on how to have the QT cycled using it as a as needed basis, i wouldnt wanna have it running it all the time. But i got everything for a QT setup just dont know how to prep it. Im using one of the topfin 2.0 with some tetra carbon filters?? oh yea sorry to hi-jack your thread

[Neko]

Originally Posted by lordofthereef

You can surely use the biowheel as you suggest doing.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by IslandCrow

Depending on what you're keeping in your QT, a biowheel should be fine. I always just used an Aquaclear Powerfilter on my QT, but it's basically the same thing. It just used ceramic rings instead of the wheel. Of course, I supplemented this with doing 15-20% water changes twice per week. In a 10g tank, that takes about 5 minutes at most. I'd pass on using rock. It's fine if the tank is only used for quarantine, but if the fish gets sick during that period and you end up having to medicate, that live rock may not be so live anymore. . .and depending on the medication, it may not be useable in a reef tank ever again.

Anyway, I don't know much about quarantine for freshwater fish, but it shouldn't be too difficult for saltwater either. Some minimal filtration, a small powerhead for circulation, regular water changes and a couple pieces of large PVC so the fish have somewhere to hide is all it takes.

Thank you, I didn’t think about possibly killing the rock I know with using the sponge filter I don’t need to do anything but the weekly water change I do on all my tanks but I’ll keep a close eye on the ammonia levels for this one and probably do the twice-a-week you suggest anyways.

[Neko]

Originally Posted by reice05

Im just confused on how to have the QT cycled using it as a as needed basis, i wouldnt wanna have it running it all the time. But i got everything for a QT setup just dont know how to prep it. Im using one of the topfin 2.0 with some tetra carbon filters?? oh yea sorry to hi-jack your thread

no problem I got my questions answered already. As far as my knowledge in freshwater fish ammonia spikes are very troublesome in QT for the fish, and I know a lot of saltwater fish are even more sensitive to it. I have seen websites suggest setting an inexpensive sponge filter to season in an operating (and healthy) tank to get all that good bacteria built up in it. Then when you are planning on having new fish come in, set the QT up the day before to stabilize the temperatures. When you put the new fish in it put your seasoned sponge filter into the QT and it should handle most of the bio load. I have a sponge filter running in my 26 gal freshwater guppy tank along side that tank's usual biowheel filter. When I get new freshwater fish for any tank I take out that sponge filter and put it in the new tank. When the quarantine is finished I let the tank and filter dry out, then put the filter back into the guppy tank to re-season. I hear that there aren't any water-born ickies that can live in a dry tank. so as long as everything is dry before you re-use it nothing should carry over.

Now that I think about it I wonder if I can take the sponges from the sponge filter and shove it into one of the compartments of my husband's 14gal tank's filter. hmmm