Quarantine tank maintanance

I am getting for my 50g QT tank. I am still not fully understand the idea of QT, except that it will basically prevent/analyze the health of fish and corals. But I will do it anyways. In the next few weeks, I would probably quarantine 3-5 fish and 3-5 corals. Then I will add them to the DT (180g). So this quarantining will be a while (months) until I have my list completed for my DT.

So here are some questions:
1. For corals, it means I have to keep the Calcium, alkalinity, mag level then? so I have to dose my QT?
2. The numbers of 3-5 fish/corals, are just my idea. But is it overstock? basically between 6 to 10 fish/corals addition every 2 weeks to DT?

 

It shouldn't be hard to keep ca, alk and mag up in a qt tank because there really isn't going to be much in there using it. Honestly, to do it the right way, you will need separate systems for fish and corals. There may be a time in which you have to treat the fish with copper. Glass will absorb the copper and the tank really is no good from that point forward for coral. Overstocking really is the inability to maintain parameters. For a QT tank, you are really worried about 3 of them. ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you can keep all three in check, you will be fine.

 

Thanks Daniel. What I am trying to do is, quarantine is for quarantine New livestock. Then I will have a hospital tank, if there is sick fish.

 

Gotcha....then you should be good to go. Are you going to have rock and such in the qt tank?

 

I was thinking about it, but probably just PVC and Stair of egg crate for corals. bare bottom.

 

I know there was a thread about "bio balls" on here. I personally, on this type of system, would run bio-balls in the tank. You could also get a molly or two (yes the freshwater kind) to keep in there. They would keep it cycled and keep algae to a minimum

 

Although I think it is awesome your are QTing your new fish, I would definitely recommend QTing each fish separately (unless they were a mated pair). One of the benefits of QTing is it gives you plenty of time to get a fish to eat properly. If there are other fish in there, they can prevent a fish from getting its fill. Plus, if you do have a diseased fish, now every fish in the QT will need to be moved to the hospital tank instead of just one.

 

Bio-balls in QT tank? you meant to help the bacteria colony? Never heard that.

I am just gonna do a Canister filter/ HOB, and only put sponge in there. may be Bio-balls in canister filter???

Molly???? Never heard that one either. ;D They'll be ok in saltwater?

wait a minute, so if I have 10 livestocks, I should have 10 QT tanks? ;D wow, that sounds like going to be more expensive then my DT. ;D

 

I would just do one at a time. I know it takes much longer that way, but, speaking as someone that just lost about $200 worth of fish because of poor QT procedures, it will be better in the long run to make sure each fish is healthy and disease free before putting it in the DT. I know I learned my lesson.

And I agree, trying to maintain 10 QT tanks isn't feasible.

You'll hear it on this site regularly...

Nothing good happens fast in saltwater.

EDIT: You can do muultiple corals in a single QT. Just do the fish one at a time.

 

Exactly. QT one fish at a time, for 4-6 weeks, add to DT and repeat. It forces you to take it slow, make sure fish are healthy and eating well before going into the DT, and gives your DT plenty of time to adjust to new additions.

And although 10 QTs are not feasible, 2 certainly is I have 2 going myself. 1 is a BB 10 gal for smaller, easy to feed fish. The other is a 46BF with LR, sand, skimmer, powerheads, etc. This is for larger, or harder to get feeding fish or ones that pick off live rock/sand all day (such as dwarf angels, sand-sifting gobies, etc.).