[Mattfish]

So now that we're getting more varied and complex fish as we grow into this, I ended up getting a 20g quarantine tank on Sunday. I set it up today. It's got a thermostat and a simple filter. There's also 4 nice sized, cured live rock in there. I filled it tonight and turned it all on so start it percolating.

Several questions:

• I get that every new fish should go in there first for a period of time. What's a normal period of time?
• I understand I shouldn't mix water from one tank to the other - there's no water connection and when I do changes, I'll do them separately, although I'll assume to mix the salt water in one large tank but add to each individually?
• Since the temperatures will be close, but not exact, and the water won't be exactly the same, what's the procedure for moving a fish from QT to main tank? Out of the QT, into a seperate acclimation bucket with some water from the QT, drip acclimate with main tank water, then into the main tank?
• Do I need some sort of aeration for the QT? Or does the simple filter (it's a biowheel) handle aeration along with filtration?
• The QT doesn't have a light on it, although it's within a few feet of the main tank, so it gets some light, both day and moon, plus room light. Is this OK?
• How about algae growth? Just get a mag wiper to clean the glass?
• I understand that I shouldn't put any cleaning crew in there - in case I need to medicate, that'd kill them off, but what would medicating do to the LR? Or doesn't it matter? If I do get a fish that needs medicating (we haven't even come close to understanding this yet, but with a little luck, quarantining the new fish, and regular water changes with good monitoring, hopefully I can avoid this for a while...), will I need to get new LR, since the medication would possibly kill off the life on the live rock?
• What other things am I not thinking about here?

A for-example is that we want to get a Pacific Blue Tang. We know they're prone to ich, and want to ensure he's healthy before introducing him to the main tank. Aside from all of the above, does it also make sense to add some neon gobies or similar ich-eaters to the QT to help?

I know that's a lot of questions, but I haven't seen anything here on the complete point and process of a QT. Now that I have one, and a living main tank that I want to protect, I'm needing an education! Thanks!

[NATIVEVAMAN]

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com A good read on QT's

[Mattfish]

Thanks - scanned and bookmarked for printing and reading this weekend. Although reading that a one-month minimum is recommended is tough to hear - I've heard 2 weeks is usually good, but conservatism comes in degrees......

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I have read that it takes 2 weeks for ich to run its entire course and die off without a host (taken with a grain of salt).And that it is the longest lived critter that attack fish(larger grain of salt)Does that mean we leave our fish in the QT for three weeks?danrned if I know.But watching fish in the QT for three weeks is far better than watching them die.In the absence of a difinitive answer I think going longer rather than shorter is the safest approach.

[Mattfish]

Ah - the scientific facts. There must be a way to verify some of the grains of salt you mention - but it's a good way to look at it. On the other hand, wouldn't any self-respecting fish die of boredom in a nearly empty tank for that much time?

[rlcline76]

Matt, you have a ton of questions. I haven't had my coffee yet. This might take me a good hour to write!
I like to leave my fish in there for about 3 weeks, provided that they do not get ich. If my fish get ich or if I add another fish to QT, my QT period starts over.

Your water change procedure is the same for both. So maybe I misunderstand your 2nd question. When establishing the tank you are encouraged to use the water from your established tank for bacteria and other goodies. BUT once everything is up and running, you might want to treat that QT water as you would consider water from your LFS, do not dump that water in your main tank because of meds used and disease.

I'm skipping acclimation, I tend to skip it unless it is a brand new fish coming from the store. My temps are consistent between the tanks, as well as most of my other parameters.

I use a powerhead in my tank.

As far as lighting, I have no real opinion. I have gobies that will not come out to eat if the lights aren't on.

Algae: I bought a plastic putty knife at Lowe's, works good and a toothbrush is also nice to have.

Really, I would not mess with LR. 2 reasons, all the great things that make is live rock go straight out the window as soon as you have to medicate with copper, etc etc. Also, if you have to use meds, most of the meds will be absorbed by the rock or the substrate and will not have the same potent punch.

[Mattfish]

Sorry for the early wake up - but thanks for making a stab at it pre-coffee.

the start-over if they get /have some disease makes sense - gotta cure it or there's no point.

Now the water issue makes sense - I'll use main tank water as "seed" water and do regular changes from freshly mixed water at the same time as the main tank. I hadn't realized not to put the lfs water into the tank. I'd been told to drip-acclimate, then get the fish into a small transfer cup/rectangle thing, instead of a net so as not to hurt the fish/livestock, but no one clued me in to not then dumping all the water back into the main tank.... lesson learned...

A PH for aeration makes sense, gotta get another one then.

The lighting on the QT ought to be fine for room light where it's placed, so as long as there's no real requirement for any special lighting, I'm good. Not sure what that means for QT'ing coral though - it would seem that they'll need MH for the 3 week QT....

The issue with killing the LR makes sense, but then what's in the tank? No sand, no LR - won't the fish go crazy? And if it's a coral or an anemone, what will it hang on to?

Thanks.

[mtfabel]

Stick a couple peices of PVC in there elbows and straights for the fish to hide in.

[Mattfish]

Cool - now I got the whole thing. Thanks.

[SweeTang22]

when you QT coral you need a seperate tank that you never ever medicate. most coral come with pieces of rock attached so thats all you will use. depending on the coral a cheap t-5 will work (not the High Output version). QT new fish is great. 3-9 weeks depending on fish. some fish like the tang you want to get should get ich rather fast assuming he gets it at all. other fish like gobies are generally not effected until the stress is prolonged to some degree. in the fish QT tank use nothing but a filter and a fake decoration. feed the fish frozen and frezze dried plankton, shrimp, krill, etc. i also like to soak my food in garlic guard, or vita-cal by kent!! when you do a water change on the display tank you will use that water to refill the QT tank, and then the water you took out of the QT tank will be disgarded. also do not use the same buckets, nets or other tools on the show tank as you do the QT.

[Mattfish]

Naturally - more stuff I need! I hadn;'t event hought about all of this, but it makes sense. Especially keeping the pails and utensils separate.

[rlcline76]

I wouldn't be able to use the water from my main since I usually end up cleaning the substrate. I suppose if I didn't want to see the fish in the QT....

Gobies get ich like any other fish.

No fancy decor for my QT/ hospital. This isn't the Hilton. I do PVC, that way if a fish isn't feeling well it might be able to hide out, out of full view of other fish that might tank advantage of something super vulnerable.

But this is just a difference in opinion.

[jimw369]

Mattfish:

you will want to read up on this.

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Marine "Ich"

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

[Mattfish]

Wow - funny Becky & Jim - we were out today and found an awesome new lfs with some amazing stuff. The guy there gave me the same two things you both did - Becky's QT tank ideas, and the ATJ site. Thanks, both of you for getting me on the right track with this.

We're going to spend some time tomorrow and get the QT set up properly, and then get a couple of tangs - and start the process. We may end up with yet another QT for the coral, if we're going to start doing that now as well, which will mean a 10g with lights...

[SweeTang22]

i should have been more specific. they can get sick, but they have a thicker slim coating so there more preventative. decor help the fish settle in better IMO. its true that they dont need it, but i prefer to take every step possible to make the fish less stressed as i can. also using the water from the showtank will help with the transfer. no need to acclimate as good as you did when you first got the fish.

by the way becky, i like you, you catch all my mistakes. their is no true ICH for marine lol, its cryptocaryon. thats a very common misconseption!

[rlcline76]

Originally Posted by SweeTang22

i should have been more specific. they can get sick, but they have a thicker slim coating so there more preventative. decor help the fish settle in better IMO. its true that they dont need it, but i prefer to take every step possible to make the fish less stressed as i can. also using the water from the showtank will help with the transfer. no need to acclimate as good as you did when you first got the fish.

by the way becky, i like you, you catch all my mistakes. their is no true ICH for marine lol, its cryptocaryon. thats a very common misconseption!

You only have 48 posts, how many times could I have corrected you?????? My intent is not to correct anyone because we are all constantly learning and what works for one may not be the best for another.
Misconception or no misconception, I don't know if you are correcting me or not on the ich definition and proper usage. Which makes it hard for me to respond one way or another. You found the way to keep me somewhat silent...kudos to you!

[Mattfish]

So, avoiding the last two posts..... , it would seem that keeping a couple of neon gobies or similar cleaning fish that can withstand medication, semi-permanently in the QT to help remove ich and similar diseases. Good idea, bad idea? Thoughts?

[mtfabel]

I am pretty sure that no fish eats ICH. Ich is a illness not a parasite. Cleaner fish eat parasites. I am fairly confident that that is correct. I am sure someone will correct me if Im wrong.

[Mattfish]

Ya got me there. I'm not smart enough but I'm sure someone will know and reply. But perhaps the neone gobies or similar as cleaner animals in a QT? In the same way that both the shrimp and neons are cleaning my Sailfin Tang in the main tank?

[rlcline76]

Mike, I would be afraid to have neon gobies in the QT for medical theraputic purposes. Gobies do not do well with copper medication, I tend to not buy them unless I knoww that the medical treatments in my tank have been diluted well. If you get a fish or shrimp that eats ich, it is only eating the visable external parasite, definitely not a cure. I would recommend allowing QT to stand alone with no permanent residents.

[Mattfish]

OK, thanks both of you - now I know. It seemed like a brilliant thought (most of my ideas do until I say them out loud...)

So here's the follow up then - and I've done a bit of reading with two conflicting views:

• Do I immediately medicate for ich, etc in the QT, on the assumption that they are prone, and it can't hurt, or
• Do I quarantine and observe and only medicate if necessary, possibly increasing the quarantine time if they do show signs?

I would assume the second since not medicating for an unknown is better (for people, and I assume fish also), and also because this may affect their immune systems and if placed into the main tank, their immune systems will be different than their tankmates....

[rlcline76]

The latter.

[SweeTang22]

Originally Posted by rlcline76

You only have 48 posts, how many times could I have corrected you?????? My intent is not to correct anyone because we are all constantly learning and what works for one may not be the best for another.
Misconception or no misconception, I don't know if you are correcting me or not on the ich definition and proper usage. Which makes it hard for me to respond one way or another. You found the way to keep me somewhat silent...kudos to you!

wasnt try to keep you quiet i was just participating in the thread. either way i do appologize