Quarantine Tank Setup

My display tank is still cycling. I know that when it's ready for fish, that I will still need to place it in a qt for 3-4 wks. I figured that I should get a qt setup up and have my first fish in the qt during this time my display tank is cycling, so that when my main tank is cycled I can put the fish that was in the qt afterwards. Is this a good idea?

On the subject of qt, are there any min req's for setting one up?
Does the qt need to cycle?
Can it be bare bottom or does it need lr & ls?
How small of a tank, nano, 10g, 20g?
What type of filtration is needed?

 

Hey Gamma good question

I would wait until the tank is fully cycled before purchasing any fish, even with a 3 week QT. Remember you will be getting the clean up crew first. So once the tank is 100% cycled add a clean up crew you could then get a fish to go into the QT
QT tanks can be very crude. Mine is a 15G no sand no LR. I do have a few pieces of PVC for hiding places. With the lack of LR and LS you can also use it as Hospital tank. AS for filtration I use a good quality trickle filter rated for a larger tank. I have also used a Fluval. But I always have had high Ammonia. Water changes daily are usually what I end up doing. From the main tank to the QT tank.
I don't always have the QT set up and when I do I use main tank water.
This will aid in acclimation when the fish can come out of QT. just ensure you don't put medicated QT water back into the main system.

My way is never the best way so hopefully others will add to this

J

 

After my tank is cycled and the clean up crew is in, do I need to wait for the clean up crew to get acclimated before I should start w/ qt a new fish?

Do inverts & corals need to be qt'd?

 

I DONT THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO ACCLIMATE YOUR SNAILS SHRIMP HERMIT CRABS (CLEANUP CREW) TO MUCH. JUST FLOAT THE BAG FOR TEMP. AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I WAS TOLD FROM A COUPLE OF LFS.

 

ALL inverts require a slower acclimation. Inverts are more sensitive to water conditions than fish

 

You think, Jason?  We, as 90% of the worlds wholesalers, don't acclimate most inverts.

(corrected the 09% to 90% : )

 

Really, I've always been told they are more important to have very slow acclimation than fish. But you would know moving 100s of inverts through your doors.
So I stand corrected.
Gresham could you run down real quick your list of like top 5 Saltwater critters that need the most care when introducing them to ones aquarium.

Thanks
J

 

Usually number one is starfish.  The rest of the list changes quite a bit depending on lengh of transit and swing of conditions between the two systems.  For lenghy journies, fish, anemones, cuttle fish, shrimp and octopus's are a tie with starfish for number one.  SPS, LPS and Xenia (wild) tie for number two for lenghy journies.  Number 3 would be soft corals and zoanthids for lenghy journies.  Number 4 would be, uh, I think I used them all up no wait, snails and 5 would be hermits.  All should get at least a temp acclimation.

If you have the time and abliity, I recommend drip acclimating everything, regardless of the animal.  Once set-up, its a brainless and painless way of insuring the proper acclimation to ther new water.

In wholesale, we don't have the ability or time to acclimate all inverts, other then temp + some h2o exchanges but some recieve drip accliamtion.  In retail, we had more time, but a tighter restriction on water usage, so it ended up actually being less then what we achieve at our wholesale facility as far as acclimation  (we did how ever adjust both the salinity and ph of the sytem to the incoming fish bags (average)and raised it slowly over a week in our "acclimation" system which you could reserve fish out of).  In both cases, we have always found time to place snails upright and in good flow (seems to help perk them up and decrease overall DOA/DAA) as well as all the starfish.  All acclimation should be done in a dim situation.  IMO it's best to wait to your tank is either off or just partial lighting.

 

Chocolate chip stars and bahama stars withstanding!!! You can't kill them suckers, oh and eels too.

 

Thanks for your insight Gresham!!!