Setting up my quarantine tank..

First off, I'm not sure where the right place to post this would be

I'm setting up a quarantine tank - all my gear (arcadia arc 35 tank w/filter and light as standard, also a 50W heater) is coming on friday. What's the process I've gotta go through? I'm going to fill it with my tank's water, which is all within good parameters, no algae outbreaks etc. It doesn't have a skimmer, however, so due to the small volume I was planning on doing daily 10% water changes whilst there is a fish in quarantine.

Once it's filled with my tank's water and the water is up to temp, the SG is balanced and all tests are carried out, how long should I leave it before actually using it? I expect to have it set up by thursday. The reason I ask is that I'm getting a copperband on sunday (supposedly), but I know how sensitive they are to water quality and I'm now strongly considering asking the LFS to hold it for another week or two (they have no problem with doing this for me, I'm sure I've spent plenty of cash there to make their love last a life time ). I know I need to let the bacteria colonize my filter media. How do I cycle a quarantine tank? I am confused on this because it's going to be filled with water from my tank.

A secondary question would be, is this tank okay to keep a 3" copperband in for a week? Dimensions are L40cm x W28cm x H33cm.

Appreciate any help, and apologies if I've posted in the wrong place.

 

you could begin running the filter on your dt right now to get the bacteria started on it and switch it over, or if you haven't got it yet, you could maybe pick up a pack of replacement filters and toss one of them in your sump/tank to get it started til the actual unit gets here?

Hope that is some help,
Jake

 

I you are using water from your tank, and I am assuming bare bottom? I would think you would be good to go right away? But maybe someone else can answer that a little more definitively.

 

Yeah, I'm going to be using the QT bare bottom - keeping it stripped down as much as possible. I'm going to be putting in a half cut pipe for shelter, hopefully this will serve as a decent safe place!

 

I have a 25g acrylic that I plan on using and my plan for it is to fill it with the tank water- then have a filter on it without any filter media- just for some water movement- this way it wont mess with any meds you put in it.- So long as you are doing water changes on it- it should be fine- I just don't know how much would be the idea amount the change.

 

Use new saltwater. What if you have a free swimming parasite in your display?
I keep a new filter sponge in my sump at all times so it is charged with bacteria. I set the QT up in a matter of minutes, add new saltwater and the AC side filter with the seeded sponge and I'm in business. A heater, thermometer, lights depending on what I am QT'ing, some PVC fittings to hide in or an eggcrate rack for frags and a small powerhead and its done. Once its through QT, I tear it down, disinfect everything with a weak bleach solution and throw the sponge away while adding a new one to the sump for next time.

 

Are you just going to be quarantining it, or treating it with any meds? If you are just quarantining it, you need to keep it in QT for at least 2-3 weeks or else you may well miss any disease that may crop up. If you are only keeping the fish in QT for 2-3 weeks, you will not get a cycle going in your QT. You will just have to do water changes every 2-3 days. It is a PITA, I know, but that is the only real way to do it unless you are willing to wait 4-6 weeks to allow the tank to cycle.