Quarantine water

[Eman79]

Ok. I'm sold on the need for a qt tank. I just need clarification on the water to be used.

Sk8r's write-up advocates "new" saltwater and frequent water changes.

The article linked to by WaterKeeper recommends keeping a sponge filter for the qt tank in the main tank sump so that it is biologically active and using at least some water from the display in the qt tank.

I'm just finishing cycle, so I don't even know if the second method is an option, and I want to be sure that I haven't misread or misinterpreted sk8rs write up. I don't want my qt tank to do more harm than good!

Thanks!:headwally:

[SneakyPete]

I don't want to contradict the great Sk8r (Sk8r for sure knows volumes more than I do), but I use a mix of new water and tank water when I am filling up my QT. I have a sponge filter on my bulkhead in my overflow box to act as a muffler. That is the sponge filter that goes into my QT when I set it up (and i replace that one with a new sponge. When I tear the QT down, the QT sponge goes in the garbage). When I fill up my QT, i usually do a water change at the same time in my DT and funnel most of the water I take out of my DT into my QT (not when I am sucking out algae and stuff). Then I fill the rest of the QT up with new salt water.

The idea of having a sponge filter is that you need some sort of bio filter to take care of ammonia produced by your QT specimen. That is why I pull that sponge filter off my DT bulkhead and run it as a normal sponge filter in my QT. If you are just finishing up your cycle, put a sponge in the DT and let it sit there for a couple of weeks. Then when you fill your QT, instant cycle.

BTW, water itself actually contains very little of your bio filter colony. Far more is in the sponge. "Cycled water" doesn't really mean much in terms of bio filter. I think Sk8r recomends new salt water to not transfer anything in your DT to you QT, like nitrate.

[bdr]

i am far from an expert but i am qting my first 2 clowns and ive just been taking water out of my display putting it in my qt and refilling the display with new sw. everyone seems happy so far i also left a spong in my display for a few weeks after the cycle finished

[Ron Reefman]

OK, I won't claim any expertise either, but I've been running a QT 50% of the time over the past 4 years. I do 25 gallon water changes for my DT, so I can fill my 20g QT easy. Then I just pull a couple of gallons out of the DT every couple of days and do a 2 gallon water chage in the QT. I don't worry about having a biological filter to remove ammonia, I water chage it out. It's worked good for me and it means more new saltwater for the DT as well. Being in SW Florida, I'm always bringing something home from the beach or snorkeling and whatever it is, being wild caught, it stays in the QT at least 8 weeks!

[Bauer92184]

I have a filter pad always in my fuge so it is seeded if I ever decide to buy a fish and then I do a water change in my DT and use the "old" water for the QT, this process has been working fine for me.

[Triton_Z]

I use water from my DT water changes in my QT on a regular basis. A Sponge in your DT sump, overflow, etc will just allow you to jump start a NEW QT tank's biofilter. It sounds like you may not need if you're done cycling.

The water in your DT should be more than adequate for use in a QT unless your DT is currently contaminated or having trouble. All this assumes a clean and maintained Display Tank.