Quarantine Tank

[sweeper7]

As we all know, a healthy fish from a LFS is the most important thing for our established Display Tanks.

So to give myself and many other posters and lurkers an idea of taking a possible Quarantine route as a method to keep their Display Tanks healthy I decided to make a thread that would contain the following from other fellow reefers in their posts.

1) Do you use a Quarantine Tank? (Yes/No)
2) Where do you keep your Quarantine Tank?
3) What equipment do you use to run your Quarantine Tank? (ex. PVC pipes, HOB filter, heater etc)
4) Do you keep it in the same stand as your Sump? (Yes/No)
5) Do you have it running 24/7 365? If not, how often?

[Spar]

Probably these questions would help in giving some additional options? Hopefully you don't mind me adding on!
6) What type of QT:
a) Observation
b) Copper (and what type)
c) Hypo
7) What salinity do you keep your QT?
8) How long do you QT new fish?
9) Do you QT everything or just fish?
10) What size tank is your QT?

My answers:
1) Yes
2) In my fish room
3) Hypo - Sump (Mag 9.5), heater, sometimes have PVC depending on the fish, carbon reactor; Observation tank - HOB, live rock, heater, circ pump
4) No
5) Pretty much 24/7/365 even when empty i let it run
6) Hypo QT for fish and Observation/Separation for all else
7) 1.009 SG in hypo, 1.025 observation
8) 6 weeks @ hypo + 1-2 weeks at normal, 7-8 weeks all else
9) QT everything
10) 75g for fish, 46g for all else

[sweeper7]

Im planning a DIY stand for my tank and wondering if I should make room for a 10G Tall QT or not.

[MuffsAbby]

1) Do you use a Quarantine Tank? Yes
2) Where do you keep your Quarantine Tank? In my den
3) What equipment do you use to run your Quarantine Tank? HOB filter with biowheel; heater; air stone/air pump; bare bottom; thermometer; Seachem ammonia alert badge; artificial aquarium decorations for hiding
4) Do you keep it in the same stand as your Sump? No. It's in a separate room from my DT
5) Do you have it running 24/7 365? Yes
6) What type of QT? Observation only, plus Prazi-Pro. If ich were encountered, I would use tank transfer, but so far I haven't had to do so.
7) What salinity do you keep your QT? I start at 1.020 which approximates the salinity of most of my LFS, and then slowly raise to 1.025 (DT) over the QT period
8) How long do you QT new fish? 8 weeks
9) Do you QT everything or just fish? Just fish (but that's all I have)
10) What size tank is your QT? 20g, plus 2 spare 10g tanks for tank transfer. Note I purposely only buy small fish (less than 3 inches).

[Spar]

Originally Posted by sweeper7

Im planning a DIY stand for my tank and wondering if I should make room for a 10G Tall QT or not.

Couldn't hurt unless you have room elsewhere. A 10g likely will only be good for small fish and for a very short period of time though, just something to keep in mind. E.g. no Tang's doable with that.

[FishAddict87]

If you were to use copper and you have artificial aquarium deco in the qt would that be reuseable?

[sweeper7]

so if I get a tang or a hawkfish or a anthia what should I do with it?

[MuffsAbby]

Originally Posted by FishAddict87

If you were to use copper and you have artificial aquarium deco in the qt would that be reuseable?

If I were to use copper in my QT, I would remove the artificial decorations (prior to dosing copper) and put in PVC pipe, which I have on hand. The real concern is not whether you could re-use the deco, but that the deco might absorb some of the copper during treatment, which would interfere with your ability to maintain copper at the correct treatment levels. All that said, I don't use copper, and I have lots of artificial deco left over from my FW days. So, I use them in my QT, since it makes things look less "clinical". I doubt the fish care, but I like it better!

[CoralReeferGal]

1) Do you use a QT tank? No. never have
2) ... i guess I can't answer the rest of the questions!

We have never QT'd any fish, corals or anything else. We do an hour or so drip acclimation and then transfer to the tank, and have never ever had a problem with any disease. My dad used to own a fish store in the 70's and from what he's passed to me, never QT'd either. I never asked the direct question, but from my impression, he didn't.

[Andrew D]

1) Do you use a Quarantine Tank? Yes
2) Where do you keep your Quarantine Tank? In my laundry room
3) What equipment do you use to run your Quarantine Tank? heater, air stone, black foam filter, powerhead, light (CF for fish, MH for coral)
4) Do you keep it in the same stand as your Sump? No. It's on the laundry room countertop, which is across from my sump and in-wall DT
5) Do you have it running 24/7 365? No, only when it is needed. Advantage is that I can clean it occasionally.
6) What type of QT? Observation only.
7) What salinity do you keep your QT? Same salinity as my DT (1.026), makes it easier to change water.
8) How long do you QT new fish? between 4 and 5 weeks.
9) Do you QT everything or just fish? everything, even macroalgae
10) What size tank is your QT? have used several. The mainstay is a 40G breeder, but I have also used a 20G long, and a couple of 10G tanks. If I am QT'ing different livestock, I keep them separate.

[EllieSuz]

1) Do you use a Quarantine Tank? (Yes/No) Yes
2) Where do you keep your Quarantine Tank? Basement, next to slop sink
3) What equipment do you use to run your Quarantine Tank? (ex. PVC pipes, HOB filter, heater etc) It's a JBJ 12 gal. plus heater and some PVC for hiding spots
4) Do you keep it in the same stand as your Sump? (Yes/No) No
5) Do you have it running 24/7 365? If not, how often? I used to keeping running, but now that my livestock list is complete, it's broken down. I still keep the media for the JBJ in my sump so I can start up the QT immediately, if needed.

[medic155]

1) Do you use a Quarantine Tank? Yes

2) Where do you keep your Quarantine Tank? Basement - It's out of the way, yet easily accessable

3) What equipment do you use to run your Quarantine Tank? 2 2" PVC Elbows, 10" Airstone, 50W Heater, AquaClear 20 HOB filter with sponge/carbon/bio-media, thermometer, Seachem Ammonia Alert Badge

4) Do you keep it in the same stand as your Sump? Since my sump is in the basement as well, I guess this is technically yes

5) Do you have it running 24/7 365? If not, how often? No, I break mine down between fish purchases, cleaning everything with bleach, then rinsing, and replacing the filter media.

6) What type of QT? Observation for 4 week minimum, treated during week 2 with Prazi Pro

7) What salinity do you keep your QT? 1.024-1.026

8) How long do you QT new fish? Minimum 4 weeks

9) Do you QT everything or just fish? Just fish

10) What size tank is your QT? 10g

[geaux xman]

I QT dosing ~.5ppm cupramine for 3-4 weeks. 1-2 treatments of prazi. one 1hr formalin dip.

29/33g, AquaClear(big sponge for biofiltration), and powerhead at ~1.020, no heater during this time of yr.

Feed heavy with a few random WC. Total QT period typically 5-6 weeks.

QT tanks run 24/7/365 in a separate room from DT to reduce risk of contamination
to my DT.

See sig for fish list. Some of the most ich sensitive fish in aqua, without any ich issues. (knock on wood).

Same QT regimen applies for fish rec'd from LFS, LA, DD, etc.

I didn't QT once and paid for it. Never again.