Guide to setup a Quarantine Tank (QT).

[fahad2328]

Hi Everyone,

I purchased 3 blue/ regal tang 3days ago and have them in QT which is painted black and it's dark my concern is all 3 blue tang don't swim or eat but just laydown and their gills are moving. I know they like to play dead but for how long is it coz the tank is dark and no light. Anything that i have to worry about here. Also tried them feedind nori and brine shrimp with garlic.

Note: Water is taken from DT

Please advice

Fahad

[bnumair]

Hi Fahad
is QT cycled? if its not and if you just took water from DT and put it in QT thats not gonna help you infact those fish maybe on their way out. please respond as quickly as you can and then i can help you further.

[bnumair]

Fahad
if you took water from DT and setup a QT tank WITHOUT cycling or without seeding QT with bacteria from an established source then those fish are dying off ammonia poisoning.
You need to do large water changes daily to keep ammonia to 0 or use products like prime/amquel/ammolock etc to rid ammonia. read the last few post before yours as it tell you some more details on products like prime ammolock amquel etc. about how to test them with a badge and not with regular test kits.
Good luck and safe reefing..


Note: Get me more details and i can guide you in right direction.

[joshyross70]

so i have a 10 gallon that im going to use for QT. have i HOB filter, heater and a seeded sponge thats been on my display tank for about 4 weeks. if i fill my 10gallon QT with water from my DT and put my sponge in my QT there wouldnt be a need to cycle correct?

[bnumair]

technically yes, but do a simpe test after setting up the QT.
put some fish food in the tank and test for ammonia 24 hrs later if there is no ammonia then your good to go. if there happens to be some ammonia then it will have to go through a mini cycle for few days.
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

[joshyross70]

Originally Posted by bnumair

technically yes, but do a simpe test after setting up the QT.
put some fish food in the tank and test for ammonia 24 hrs later if there is no ammonia then your good to go. if there happens to be some ammonia then it will have to go through a mini cycle for few days.
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

if in the case there is a mini cycle should i add anything to it or do anything? or just let nature do its thing?

[bnumair]

i would let it run its course for few days thus increasing the bacteria living in the sponge. once ur ammonia is down to 0 after mini cycle add your first fish then wait few (3-4) days to add more fish.

[joshyross70]

Originally Posted by bnumair

i would let it run its course for few days thus increasing the bacteria living in the sponge. once ur ammonia is down to 0 after mini cycle add your first fish then wait few (3-4) days to add more fish.

awesome. thanks. ill be doing 1 fish in QT at a time for at least 4 weeks. wanna go slow lol

[3dees]

maybe a stupid question, but how do you read the salifert color chart. cupramine says to bring copper to 0.5 mg. but the chart goes down to 0.10 with 0 being white. how do you tell when you have 0.5?

[bnumair]

not sure if i follow your question, i think your thinking of 0.05 and not 0.5.
the true strength for copper treatment is 0.5 that is clear on salifert chart. here is a pic.

[mrpergo]

I have a 20 high QT set up. I will be a permanent QT.
I have an old Penguin 330 bio wheel hob with a Aqua20 hob and a bag of 500mg fluval ceramic rings. In the 330 I have Seachem's Martrix in the extra media area and in the Aqua20 I have 2 small bags of ceramic 60mg each and a sponge.
I purchased a new Penguin 350 bio wheel. It's for a 70gal tank so I would just like to use this and get rid of all the other stuff. What would you suggest I use for filter media in the 350 ? Should I fill it with little ceramic rings or just use filter floss of some king. I just want something that's functional yet pleasing to the eye. This QT looks like my DT sump right now, to much stuff...lol
I plan to house a fish in there when not QT fish for the DT.
As always thanks for you help, I have many happy fish do to your advise.

[bnumair]

Originally Posted by mrpergo

I have a 20 high QT set up. I will be a permanent QT.
I have an old Penguin 330 bio wheel hob with a Aqua20 hob and a bag of 500mg fluval ceramic rings. In the 330 I have Seachem's Martrix in the extra media area and in the Aqua20 I have 2 small bags of ceramic 60mg each and a sponge.
I purchased a new Penguin 350 bio wheel. It's for a 70gal tank so I would just like to use this and get rid of all the other stuff. What would you suggest I use for filter media in the 350 ? Should I fill it with little ceramic rings or just use filter floss of some king. I just want something that's functional yet pleasing to the eye. This QT looks like my DT sump right now, to much stuff...lol
I plan to house a fish in there when not QT fish for the DT.
As always thanks for you help, I have many happy fish do to your advise.

Thanks for ur nice words....
Regarding the filter. i always fill mine with ceramic rings or media and nothing more. i place ceramic rings in a media sock and place it in the HOB chamber. this acts as a filter for bigger debris and some small while also keeping the bacteria in it as well. once done with QT and there is no more fish in the tank then i take the media sock out and rinse it in the qt tank and then do a 100% water change.
Hope it helps...
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

[bnumair]

Hi folks, email question: (cut/pasting here for general/educational knowledge for everyone.)

Hi sir..I've read your blog re QT setup and I'm seeking you out for help..I'm pretty sure this question has been asked and explained. But here's the Issue. I'm noticing that my hippo and YT is developing ICH and I would like to handle this immediately. I've gathered all necessary equipment (20g, HOB, koralia 750, 100w heater, searchem ammonia badge) I've already filled the 20g with 50/50 of DT water and fresh salt mix. Ive inserted DT filter floss to HOB with ceramic blocks. I'm contemplating adding in a 16oz Dr. Tim's "one & only" instant cycle in a bottle. I've used this method when I setup my DT.... Also would it be a good idea to throw in a frozen shrimp while I got the fishes get transferred?

[bnumair]

To answer the email question:
If i understand the question, i think what your asking is if it is ok to use Dr. Tim bacteria in bottle to start this QT along with some media you transferred from DT in your QT HOB.
If uptil now i am correct them there is no need to put a frozen shrimp in QT, just setup the tank like you said and add fish food and check for ammonia 24 hrs later. if there is no ammonia dose the food again and check after 24 hrs again. If no ammonia after second test then your tank has already go enough bacteria to support fish or 2.
In case something goes wrong (which in many cases does) keep enough freshly made saltwater ready (with temp, pH and salinity) at same level as QT for water changes.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

[iereefer]

Originally Posted by bnumair

To answer the email question:
If i understand the question, i think what your asking is if it is ok to use Dr. Tim bacteria in bottle to start this QT along with some media you transferred from DT in your QT HOB.
If uptil now i am correct them there is no need to put a frozen shrimp in QT, just setup the tank like you said and add fish food and check for ammonia 24 hrs later. if there is no ammonia dose the food again and check after 24 hrs again. If no ammonia after second test then your tank has already go enough bacteria to support fish or 2.
In case something goes wrong (which in many cases does) keep enough freshly made saltwater ready (with temp, pH and salinity) at same level as QT for water changes.
Hope this helps.
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

Thank you for the prompted reply. Already had plans to check on ammonia. Last night, got the QT up ca8ght the YT with ease. The hippo was another, finally was able to catch him after 40 of cat and mouse. Acclimated them to the QT, an hour later dosed in 1ml of cupramine. Woke up to morning to see the hippo riding the rim of the tank and settled flat on its body with elevated breathing. Not sure if its my bdrm lighting or not, but the normally black bar on the hippo was yellow/orangish to it. So ill be posted up at home eye these guys...btw, the YT had no adverse affect with medications.

[WGT1014]

I've decided to set up a QT. I understand how to set one up but my question is what kind of medications should I keep on hand? Also what test kits? I know about Prazipro,Cuprimine,Copper test kit, basic ammonia,nitrite,nitrate kit. Thanks.

[bnumair]

i personally carry prazipro and cupramine and sometimes formalin-ms. while on test kits you got to have decent kits and API is not a decent kit by my standards, Salifert Elos Red Sea Seachem etc are better brands. I keep ammonia, nitrates cal mag alk and phos kits mostly handy but i do have many others as well. i personally have some high dollar meters and spectrometers but for basic use you can get away with kits i mentioned.
Good Luck

[adamwheel]

You've probably weighed in on this somewhere but...

To QT or not to QT Acanthurus Tangs specifically Achilles and/or Powder Blue?

I have a 29 gal fully cycled QT that has been very successful to this point and would be getting juveniles (2-3") through LA. Is 29 gal too small for them? Display is DIY 178 gal but I hate the idea of avoiding QT.

Cheers and thanks for the help,

Adam

[adamwheel]

I will only be getting one and it will be my final addition months from now.

[bnumair]

Originally Posted by adamwheel

You've probably weighed in on this somewhere but...

To QT or not to QT Acanthurus Tangs specifically Achilles and/or Powder Blue?

I have a 29 gal fully cycled QT that has been very successful to this point and would be getting juveniles (2-3") through LA. Is 29 gal too small for them? Display is DIY 178 gal but I hate the idea of avoiding QT.

Cheers and thanks for the help,

Adam

Hi Adam,
I have qt'ed an achilles and blue hippo in a 20 gal with hyposalinty with no problem but that doesnt prove anything. every fish acts differently. You may wanna keep an eye on them at first in a 29 gal tank for aggression. if they do fight you may have to divide the tank in 2 halves with egg crate.
Regardless i would QT and treat ALL TANGS fir ich via copper or hypo or tank transfer.
i do have guides in my blog for step by step process bot both methods.
Good Luck and Safe Reefing.

[SFish]

How long do new fish need to stay in the QT? Also is it ok to put 3 new fish in a 10 gallon QT together?

[bnumair]

Originally Posted by SFish

How long do new fish need to stay in the QT? Also is it ok to put 3 new fish in a 10 gallon QT together?

all fish should remain in QT under observation for atleast 6-8 weeks.
This is just observation period not treatment time.
3 fish in a 10 gal qt may get away with it depending what fish are we talking about and what size.

[SFish]

Thanks

[jfeva0049]

could i get some advice on qt a gobie or a mandarin??? is it worth the risk? i mean i heard the the slime coat on a mandarin prevent most parasites anyways... thanks for the advice.

[bnumair]

Originally Posted by jfeva0049

could i get some advice on qt a gobie or a mandarin??? is it worth the risk? i mean i heard the the slime coat on a mandarin prevent most parasites anyways... thanks for the advice.

Personally i dont qt mandarin due to the fact they have very thick slime coat and they usually dont get ich. Goby you can qt for few weeks with a bowl of sand in the tank. If you decide to do bowl of sand make sure its pure silica as if needed to medicate it wont absorb copper.
Good Luck