No room to qt? You DO know that a qt doesn't have to be cycled...

[Sk8r]

...and can easily reside in the bottom of the closet holding spare flip-flops when not in use.
To run a non-cycled qt, even in a bucket, just use new salt water and a filter stuffed with pillow floss (cheaper than fish floss) that you toss daily.

It also works excellently well with TTM protocol for ridding tank of ich: you have 2 tanks and just keep switching (see sticky above) and drying out the other one. In between uses, if you're using poly buckets for this purpose, just stack them. When operating, set it in a corner of your bedroom, bath, or kitchen. Heck, set it in the shower while you're at work, (I know the problem of 'efficiency' apartments) so long as the pump/heater power cord reaches.

[hkgar]

When I anticipate getting a new fish, I put a bag of bio media and a sponge in my CT sump for a few days. When I set up my QT I add them to an Aquaclear 30 HOB filter. That seems to be enough to keep ammonia at 0 with a small bioload.

[Sk8r]

WHich again, is a small, quick setup. Yes. You do not have to live with a second cycled setup constantly going. You should dry and clean it between fish anyway.

[NAClFiSHy]

How long do you QT a new fish for ?

[Sk8r]

Here's the best practice. Plus close observation for symptoms other than ich (white stringy poop, film on skin). Ich is tiny pimples which are full of little nasty parasites, but it can also hide in gills. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2507836

[anthonys51]

can you qt in a garage can fish handle 80- 82 degree temp

[heathlindner25]

. I wouldn't put a fish in an uncycled anything, my quarantine tank is cycled

[Sk8r]

Clean water is clean water as long as you keep it clean. The minuscule amount of ammonia from excrement and respiration will not harm them so long as you attend their water quality and as long as there is enough water to dilute the pollutant. Maintaining the TTM process with cycled tanks?

[heathlindner25]

Sounds like a lot of " ifs", just not a fan of this " method". Especially for beginners

[NAClFiSHy]

What size tank do you have for a QT.

[heathlindner25]

Clean water is clean water as long as you keep it clean. The minuscule amount of ammonia from excrement and respiration will not harm them so long as you attend their water quality and as long as there is enough water to dilute the pollutant. Maintaining the TTM process with cycled tanks?

Miniscule? Have you ever seen a yellow tang take a dump? In a small uncycled quarantine it's a fish killer. Not being argumentative just debating the subject

[hotdogmj71]

Setting up a cycled qt does not have to be a huge ordeal or always running. I clean all my equip between new fish. When getting ready for a new arrival, I use half new SW & half old SW (from a water change that day) along with some floss from my sump for the filter. Uncycled tanks just scare me a bit.

[Calappidae]

I think it mainly just depends on:

1) length of treatment/observation
2) type of fish
3) size of the system

Like, I wouldn't treat a 3" puffer in an unfiltered (or uncycled with new HoB) for a 2 week period.

Yes, ammonia can potentially stay 0 meaning clean water, but the concept of Ph balance and back up plan for a random potential ammonia spike can be very risky.

There's also the medication you're using, remember the only reason clean water stays clean is due to water change/carbon, one of which needs removed during treatments for best results.

[Sk8r]

It's an interesting question: the vegetarians do produce more poo, but the quality and composition is different from, say, a predator on lean commons. One part of the question is the efficiency of the filter, and the fact that it is very frequently changed in TTM.

[Grimreaperz]

Couldn't you just add ammonia neutralizer to keep levels down as well? 5ml a day keeps the ammonia away [emoji14]

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[Sk8r]

As long as it's not going into your dt, no problem that I see.

[gone fishin]

FWIW I very seldom cycle a QT. I rely on water WC's and prime when needed. After the fish goes through the TTM they then go into the QT for 4-5 weeks.

[hkgar]

I do TTM with what would obviously be uncycled tanks, but I do use an algae badge alert and will often at an ammonia detoxer on the second day. When movig the fish to QT the QT tank is cycled as I explained in my first post to this thread.

[atraperegrinus]

I do TTM with what would obviously be uncycled tanks, but I do use an algae badge alert and will often at an ammonia detoxer on the second day. When movig the fish to QT the QT tank is cycled as I explained in my first post to this thread.

so are you tossing the $10 badge in the garbage at every tank transfer? because if you sterilize it and dry it off for 24 hours wont it die?

otherwise all that's doing is adding a gateway for ich to skip to the new tank.

[Grimreaperz]

Repost plz delete sorry

[Grimreaperz]

As long as it's not going into your dt, no problem that I see.
Hey Sk8r could we get a comprehensive on Coral QT, if it is needed, does it neeed to be separated from fish qt, can it be uncycled? Are dips/inspection enough for corals? Can any lighting work or do you need similar lighting to your DT? I have been looking around for sure fire necessity list but seem to be getting mixed info. Thanks in Advanced!


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[CindyK]

+1 to the above, I've been wondering the same about corals.

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[Sk8r]

Personally, I just dip, and have not had any fish disease come in with it, but I also tend to get my corals from places that don't sell corals from fish tanks: they have separate coral tanks, maybe with a few 'coral tending' fish that are not sold, but live there to take care of any pests. Frankly, they're clean enough the dips have never killed any critters off it: I look at the liquid after, and never see any parasites/predators demised. Zoas are a little iffier: they're so dense and they have egg-laying predators whose eggs can survive dip. But I don't keep softies. I prefer stonies, for their growth habits.
Mind, this is me, this is MY situation. if you're in a similar situation, you're probably ok, but one mistake can hand you some really nasty predators, like red bug, (an sps predator) that are harder to get rid of than ich.

[hkgar]

so are you tossing the $10 badge in the garbage at every tank transfer? because if you sterilize it and dry it off for 24 hours wont it die?

otherwise all that's doing is adding a gateway for ich to skip to the new tank.

I use two of them. Or if only one it does not go in the next tank until it has been dry for 24 hours. It is very unlikely of getting ammonia in 36 hours.

[jd371]

Setting up a cycled qt does not have to be a huge ordeal or always running. I clean all my equip between new fish. When getting ready for a new arrival, I use half new SW & half old SW (from a water change that day) along with some floss from my sump for the filter. Uncycled tanks just scare me a bit.
Exactly how I do it. I can have my 20gal QT up and running in a few hours.

[Grimreaperz]

Personally, I just dip, and have not had any fish disease come in with it, but I also tend to get my corals from places that don't sell corals from fish tanks: they have separate coral tanks, maybe with a few 'coral tending' fish that are not sold, but live there to take care of any pests. Frankly, they're clean enough the dips have never killed any critters off it: I look at the liquid after, and never see any parasites/predators demised. Zoas are a little iffier: they're so dense and they have egg-laying predators whose eggs can survive dip. But I don't keep softies. I prefer stonies, for their growth habits.
Mind, this is me, this is MY situation. if you're in a similar situation, you're probably ok, but one mistake can hand you some really nasty predators, like red bug, (an sps predator) that are harder to get rid of than ich.
Yeah I'm super new so I will be starting with Zoas, and softies/LPS. Maybe get an Acropora down the line. For the softies and Zoas do I dip. Then just inspect with magnifying glass to make sure nothing remains? Should I maybe post a thread in the reef section on QT Methods for softies?

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[Sk8r]

Give it a week after dip with a magnifying glass: it's hatching eggs you're concerned about, and not having kept zoas since the 80's, I don't know the incubation period of the eggs.