QT and sandbed

[SABOB]

2 questions

1.When setting up QT,using water from main tank already cycled,what filtration system and how do you get the media to mature?Does it take a while before you can place fish from main tank into QT.I am going fallow after ich .

2.I have about 2 inch sandbed in main tank (half live sand, half agronite)I have never stirred up this substrate.Should I or will I disrupt things.I have 2 turbo snails, 3 Hermit crabs and a Chocolate Chip Starfish.Not sure how much they sift the sandbed.
Thanks for any suggestions!!!!!!

 

[quarryshark]

If you have Ich, you need to move them out and start treatment pronto. Don't worry about cycling the qt. If you use meds it will kill the bacteria anyway. You can keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down with water changes.
You inverts can stay in the main for the fallow period, they are not affected by the parasite . You may want to turn your main tank temp up to 83-84, this will speed up the lifecycle of the parasite.
Your not putting sand in the qt are you? This would disrupt any meds you would be using.
Good luck!

 

[SABOB]

No I'm not putting sand in QT.I was referring to main tank.The fish I still have are 2 Damsels and a Royal Gramma currently not showing any signs of stress or ich.
What type of filter is recommended for QT?I don't plan on treating current fish unless signs of ich appear.

 

[Guest]

First off do not disrupt your SB. You don't want to destroy the bacteria, or unlock any sulfide bubbles which I hope you don't have. (Doubt it if its only 2 inches) Anyways I think a small HOB filter with a sponge or fiber would work for QT, to catch the larger particles. Just rinse it every other day or so. Also I have seen some people use terracotta pots in their QT for the fish to hide. Also you don't need to use meds. Hyposalinity works very well, and you wont have to use any copper.

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

 

[SABOB]

Thanks Six Line for your suggestions.I'm not sure how to tell if there are any sulfide bubbles.I've seen comments on other posts talking about sand sifting fish or inverts and was not sure if you don't have them if you need to manually stir things up or not.I'll leave it alone unless someone else has other opinions.

 

[Guest]

Well if its only 2 inches you hsouldn't. You don't want sifters they eat all the good worms, and pods. So if you don't have more worms/pods then the animal can eat it could die. What you do want is shifters, (not sifters) I use nassarius snails. They do a great job.

 

[cybercron]

Do you keep your QT's up continuously? For example if you were treating with hyposalinity could you keep a QT running in parallel with your main tank? What would you need to add to the QT to keep the nitrogen cycle stable?

Van

 

[Guest]

If your using hyposalinity rather than medications, then I think you should have media... Mabye some base rock, or a HOB filter. Yes I would run it continuously.

 

[f-dean]

I have 1 inch live sand and 2 inches of agrogate on top which is crushed coral, shoud i use nassarius snails if so how many I have 4 turbos, and 1 conch, in a 55 gal with 6 hermits. Actually I just cycled 60 lbs of rock in my tank and have my fish and snails in my QT which has a bio wheel and filter, it is an eclipse 3 gal. with a 6 lbs of 1yr old lr on it.

Im thinking of throwing 50 nassarius and turbos in LR has suff sluffing off it.

what do you all think, to many, I think 25 might do trick, just dont know how many is two many.