Temporary QT? Is this possible?

[pdwire]

Ok. I admit I do not have a QT even though I know I should. However, I do not often add that much stuff to my tank and it seem like a pain to keep a tank going just for that occasion. Is it possible, a day or so before new live stock arrives, to syphon off water from the main tank into a smaller tank and put a couple of pieces of LR from the main tank into the QT without going through a cycle. Then if all goes well with the quarantine period then you can break the tank back down and add back to the display. Of course if all does not go well you would probably be out a couple pieces of LR...but better that than your whole display tank being infected.

 

[Menagerie]

For FW, I do not leave my QT tank up and running. It gets stored in the closest away from all chemicals. When it is needed, it's rinsed out and filled with established tank water.
HTH

 

[Biggen]

Is it possible, a day or so before new live stock arrives, to syphon off water from the main tank into a smaller tank and put a couple of pieces of LR from the main tank into the QT without going through a cycle.

Absolutely. I do something similar except I use a HOB filter. I put a HOB filter on my sump with filter floss in it and let it run down there for a week or two as to establish the biological filter. Then when I setup my QT tank I take the HOB filter off the sump and put it on the QT tank.

Then if all goes well with the quarantine period then you can break the tank back down and add back to the display.

Yes, if all goes well and the fish shows no signs of disease at all and you didn't treat the water with any meds, I would say you could put that LR back into your display tank after the QT period without any problems.

 

[jerejohnson]

biggen with the filter floss do you use new fliter pads each time?

 

[pdwire]

Biggen.. glad to hear that works as well. I have a AquaClear 300 from my freshwater days that I could use for that and not mess with the LR.

 

[fishfreek]

You dont want Live rock in your qt tank. If you have to medicate the tank then your live rock will be something you should remove from the QT before medicating.

The qt tank should be fairly lifeless except for what your QTing. Put some pvc plumbing and other bits in the QT for hiding and use a sponge filter or hang on filter that you can just put filter floss in. No carbon. Toss the cartrage after QT is over and then just run the hang on filter on your display tank between QT use.

 

[Biggen]

biggen with the filter floss do you use new fliter pads each time?

As FF says, you would toss the filter cartridge every time you broke down the QT.