QT tank questions.

[Doan]

Well the wife and I were talking last night and coming back from our holiday trip we are going to do a little detour and pick up our 1st fish and a cleaner shrimp and if they have a bubble coral that too. My question is Do I really need a QT tank for the first one?? I mean what is gonna happen to the Live rock and the snails..ohhh and the hidden crab?? I could see not wanting to infect other fish with anything but for the first one is this really that important.. The real problem is buying and setting up and cycling a whole nother tank for QT for just the first one seems daunting and expensive..again.. I think that it would be important to have one but I am gonna have a hard time convincing the wife we need to drop another $500 on a whole nother tank to put fish into the one we just spent over $1400 on. That being said If I have to I should probably get on it so it can cycle and stuff..what size Qt tanks do you guys have?? Also what will be required for it and how do you cycle it?? I did the main tank with the LR so as not to have to worry about damsel removal or getting rid of them.. It seems a bit silly to put a fish I don't want in my main tank in the QT tank stressing out already stressed fish..But I am not overly thrilled on spending money on more rock for that tank.. Is there an easy (read not so expensive) way to do this???
Thanks

Doan

 

[sumphead]

Doaner, your QT doesn't have to be a whole new setup like a display. A $9.00 10 gallon with a small air sponge filter is just fine. As far as cycling a new QT that isn't necissary at all. Some people keep the filter they use on the QT in the sump to keep a good population of bacteria on it. But say you were QTing a clown (not large and not a huge waste producer) jst check the ammonia levels daily in the QT as change water regularly. Every other day of 3 gallons should be just fine. Most people empty their QTs after each use. I do anyway. I use a small bio wheel filter and keep the wheel in my sump until i need it. If i ever have to medicate a QT tank I just buy a new one for the next time. No substrate in the QT, just a piece of PVC for the fish to hide in.

The shimp doens't need to be QT'd as i believe they aren't subject to the same parasites as fish. I think you could do an easy 10 Gal QT for less than $30 easily.

And QTing the first on is a good idea. You never want to medicate your main tank. EVER!!!!

 

[Doan]

Ahhhhh thank you so much ok $30 I can do.... I was just a little put off by the whole thought of setting up a whole other tank. Glad I asked that question.. I was under the impression that it was basically just a smaller version of a display tank.. So you think if I just put in like tank water from a water change in a 10 gallon with a small filter hunh.. I don't have a sump(nor do I know what they are or why I would need one ) but I am sure I can come up with something...
I can put it down in the bar... It will give us something nice to look at while we watch the Steelers embarrass the whole city with their poor play.

Thanks

Doan

 

[ellisz]

I would definately try to seed a filter pad in the main tank before setting up a QT. I lost a tang in a 10 gal QT because the ammonia levels would rise too quick each day. I would do a water change and the ammonia would be high again when I got home from work.

A smaller fish might be easier though ...

 

[sumphead]

I would suggest picking up a cheap filter for your ten gallon and go ahead and set it on your main tank. It'll be ready in a few days with some good bacteria on it. Then use it on your 10G QT. You could even get a mesh bag and fill it with some of your active sand and put it in the media portion of a small hang on filter. HTH

 

[Doan]

Thanks guys that is a real good Idea.. My wife will be thrilled with me setting up ANOTHER lol tank when she gets home tonight..

Thank you for all the help

Doan