QT tank ideas...

Jake970

New Member
So my Waterbox 70.3 doesn't arrive until the end of the month/beginning of next month and I realize I will have a lot of QTing to do. I was curious if anyone has done a 10-20 gallon permanent QT tank w/ sand/live rock? I was thinking about getting a Waterbox 10 AIO cube and setting it up next to where the main tank will be as a nice looking a permanent QT tank.
 

Jake970

New Member
My thought process being I could use it as a nice observation tank and if I need to medicate I can always use a cheap petco 5-10 gallon w/ a sponge filter. I
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
In a quarantine tank, you usually want it bare with only a few plastic decorations or pipe fittings to give the fish some cover.

You don't use live rock or live sand because if you need to medicate the tank, the med will kill off all the good bacteria and most of everything else on the live rock. This creates a problem with all that stuff decaying. Also live rock and live sand can absorb meds like copper and then release it back into the system later, killing anything sensetive to i.

Now the next obvious question is how do you controll ammonia and nitrite? This needs to be done by doing very light feedings and removing any dirt you can. You will still get ammonia and nitrate, so you need to make water changes to keep it in check. Obviously you'll need test kits to keep an eye on things.
 

Jake970

New Member
In a quarantine tank, you usually want it bare with only a few plastic decorations or pipe fittings to give the fish some cover.

You don't use live rock or live sand because if you need to medicate the tank, the med will kill off all the good bacteria and most of everything else on the live rock. This creates a problem with all that stuff decaying. Also live rock and live sand can absorb meds like copper and then release it back into the system later, killing anything sensetive to i.

Now the next obvious question is how do you controll ammonia and nitrite? This needs to be done by doing very light feedings and removing any dirt you can. You will still get ammonia and nitrate, so you need to make water changes to keep it in check. Obviously you'll need test kits to keep an eye on things.


Yea super unhelpful buddy, sorry. I addressed medication and was wondering about permanent nice QT tanks and if anyone has done it, not just gone the cheap route. You can have sand for a QT especially if you have sand sifting fish, they don't particularly like bare bottoms and I am going to be getting multiple gobies.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Yea super unhelpful buddy, sorry. I addressed medication and was wondering about permanent nice QT tanks and if anyone has done it, not just gone the cheap route. You can have sand for a QT especially if you have sand sifting fish, they don't particularly like bare bottoms and I am going to be getting multiple gobies.

I think your missing the whole point. Once you medicate a SW tank you will almost always destroy the bacteria base and any other things like sponges and tube worms that typically inhabit live rock. As soon at that occurs, you will need to do something to control ammonia and nitrite. This is going to happen even with something like hyposalinity. Also any copper based med will get absorbed by any calcium based live sand and rock, and this copper will be slowly leached back into the system for a long time. This will just about prevent you from keeping any inverts or corals, unless you always use a copper absorbing product in the filtration system.

If you want to keep a fully set up tank as an observation tank and start new arrivals there that's fine, but I would not advise medicating it. If you are going to medicate the tank anyway, once your done the quarantine process, I'd recommend tearing the tank down and starting it over. Your back to day one as far as bacteria go.
 

Jake970

New Member
I think your missing the whole point. Once you medicate a SW tank you will almost always destroy the bacteria base and any other things like sponges and tube worms that typically inhabit live rock. As soon at that occurs, you will need to do something to control ammonia and nitrite. This is going to happen even with something like hyposalinity. Also any copper based med will get absorbed by any calcium based live sand and rock, and this copper will be slowly leached back into the system for a long time. This will just about prevent you from keeping any inverts or corals, unless you always use a copper absorbing product in the filtration system.

If you want to keep a fully set up tank as an observation tank and start new arrivals there that's fine, but I would not advise medicating it. If you are going to medicate the tank anyway, once your done the quarantine process, I'd recommend tearing the tank down and starting it over. Your back to day one as far as bacteria go.


You are missing the entire point. I have already explained what I would do in the event of needing to medicate. I am not sure why this is such a difficult concept for you to grasp or why you think I am unaware of how a med tank works. Simply asking if anyone has done a permanent QT tank that is nice and has a scape.

The whole concept that a fish in QT needs to be in some crappy $1 a gallon tank w/ a sponge filter seems so cheap in a hobby as expensive as this one is. Might as well spend the $$ and make it nice.
 

Uncle99

Well-Known Member
You will not likely find someone to respond because there is really not such a thing as a permanent QT.

QT is a short term, uncycled, holding area for usually 15-30 days.

Due to the potential of fish entering this environment with things like Ick, velvet, flukes and the subsequent use of medications, you only use it once, then it must be cleaned with vinegar and air dried for 48 hours before second use.

If your doing things right which you sound like you are, you can set up a QT just as a DT, just seems like a big waste of money for something I only used for a few weeks, once in a while, for over 30 years.

Since my last rebuild, it's been 4 years since I needed my QT.
 

Jake970

New Member
You will not likely find someone to respond because there is really not such a thing as a permanent QT.

QT is a short term, uncycled, holding area for usually 15-30 days.

Due to the potential of fish entering this environment with things like Ick, velvet, flukes and the subsequent use of medications, you only use it once, then it must be cleaned with vinegar and air dried for 48 hours before second use.

If your doing things right which you sound like you are, you can set up a QT just as a DT, just seems like a big waste of money for something I only used for a few weeks, once in a while, for over 30 years.

Since my last rebuild, it's been 4 years since I needed my QT.


I had the thought of having the last fish I QT in it stay in it. Got my main display up today should have a couple fish in there tomorrow.
 

Uncle99

Well-Known Member
You certainly can do that, but If it's a QT, it should be as far away from the DT as possible.
how fast was your cycle?
 
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