If you could give one piece of advice about QT'ing....

[wabio]

What would it be? Obviously you're not limited to one, and more advice would definitely be welcome! :) It seems like this is the least talked about subject around here, which is quite ironic when most books mention it quite frequently. I guess patience isn't much of a virtue in this forum. Hey....at least we can still make purchases with credit cards and not have to save up. :D

So what key/nifty advice can you give? Such as:

- water changes.
- wait time
- diseases to watch for
- transition steps/prophylaxis
- tank size
- what to do
- what NOT to do.

I'm sure many of us have had horrific QT (or lack thereof) related experiences that we wouldn't wish upon our worst enemies. Plenty of knowledge to share with others I'm sure. Thus, I'm hoping to get this thread plenty long for happy future reefkeeping.

[WinnipegDragon]

I'll be doing my QT setup in the spring, so I'd love to see any responses to this. I need all the advice I can get :D

[tgunn]

My advice:
- Make sure to use a well established filter media for your QT tank; something that has been in the sump of your main tank for some time. This way you have "biologically active" media.
- Test the water frequently for ammonia and nitrite.
- Observe your inhabitants many times a day -- if something dies you want to get it out of there ASAP and test the water quality. I had a fish die in QT and get sucked against a powerhead; overnight the water quality got so bad that another fish in QT died.

Tyler

[MOTOR25]

feed a varied diet and fatten your fish a little while they are in qt,,,if you need to treat for a parasite while in qt then i like the hypo method over copper

[BigRedSpecial]

I'm starting a new round of qt for fish in a couple weeks, so I'll be watching this as well...

All I can add, is the main thing to watch for is ich; I'll be using copper to kill it(with the lfs' around here, you'd be stupid NOT to assume each and every fish is a carrier), but a lot of people prefer hypo. In either case, the timeframe is typically 6 weeks; I like to go 8 for good measure.

[wabio]

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

[wayne in norway]

My advice would be consistent, and use a breeder rather than a tall tank. Have some very hairy , trash live rock in there that you're willing to pull out and sacrifice if you need to treat the tank - it will provide some natural graving material if you need to QT angels and tangs.
Your QT should have the very best water quality you can manage.

[joelr31]

Small tank (10 gallon or 20 gallon breeder)
Filtration recommendation - Canister filter or sponge seeded from main tank
PVC piping for hiding
Bare bottom tank, no rock
Minimal lighting
Copper test kit and medication
Simple powerhead for circulation
One fish at a time
Check frequently for ammonia, nitrite
Feed fish normally