Quarantine tank setup

[Lauramichelle]

I keep hearing I should quarantine my fish for 6-8 wks before introducing them to my 20 gal. If so, how large? Do I need to cycle it? Is it just water? Or do I use sand and rock? Etc etc etc. You are the experts, so I'm asking. Thank you

 

[barterking85]

I keep hearing I should quarantine my fish for 6-8 wks before introducing them to my 20 gal. If so, how large? Do I need to cycle it? Is it just water? Or do I use sand and rock? Etc etc etc. You are the experts, so I'm asking. Thank you

I just use whatever I have on hand for me it's a 15 gallon qt I keep it cycled with guppies or move a filter from my big tank onto the qt when I need it. For a qt don't use any substrate so you can see the poop for signs of infection

 

[bskerrichard27]

Yes u need to cycle it as for taking a filter from one tank and putting on qt that will work but if you use copper meds don't put it back if u have inverts and corals as they are intolerable to copper

 

[barterking85]

Yeah I should have went into depth some more I have a big bag of filter media and a spare AC70 I run new media on my established tank for qt or new tanks if I use it on the qt I just toss it when I am done and put fresh media back in and run it on my established tank until its needed again

 

[Lauramichelle]

So should I move water from my primary tank, say during a water change, over to the qt. Then move the "used" filter media over to the qt? Then start monitoring the cycle? No lv or ls? Will the good bacteria remain in the qt? Sorry for the questions but I'm really new at this. Thank you.

 

[bskerrichard27]

I use my old water and filter media some may not but I don't keep my qt up all the time I only set it up when I'm getting new fish ... Some choose to use all new stuff water media etc ..... But I don't so your answer is yes you can as long as the water pars are good