QT tank question

[Dr.Nate]

Alright, alright, I've finally decided to start a QT tank after reading everyone's woes with ick and battling it myself for the better part of a month and a half. But now I'm afraid I did my QT wrong....I used water from the main tank....didn't put any substrate at all....have a great filter and heater and then put a piece of live rock in there too. It's only a 10 gallon QT and I'm gonna have three fish in there treated with copper. Did I do anything wrong?

 

[Ximat]

Remove the Live rock, the copper will kill anything living on it, and you won't ever be able to put it in your display tank. Get a couple PVC pieces for hiding.

No substrate is right, it will absorb the copper.

Filter wise, don't put any carbon in it, the carbon will absorb the copper as well. Remember anything you use in there such as your heater, filter, powerhead, should never be placed back into a display tank that may house inverts.

Also, how many fish do you plan on QT'ing at one time? a 10g tank *may* be too small.

 

[Phyl]

Using water from the main is fine too. You're going to be treating that water anyway. Just don't use any water from the main once you've started treatments. If you're going to use copper make sure to get the right copper, the matching test kits and have PLENTY of water on hand to do water changes. Is copper the best choice of treatment given your fish selection? If you're not sure ask around the sick fish forum for answers. Those guys are great!

 

[quarryshark]

Agree, unless your 3 fish are all less than about 2" each, you will be battling major ammonia in a 10 gallon. What are the fish and how big?

 

[Dr.Nate]

I have an inch and a half clown, a one inch bicolor pseudochromis, and a 3 inch tang. Can I just use the live rock if I don't plan on adding it back to the main?

 

[Ximat]

The rock is still going to absorb the copper, so make sure you test the copper levels on a daily basis to assure that they are at the proper therapudic levels.

With that many fish you will definatly battle a fight with amonia. I would consider at least a 20g tank. Have pleanty of water so you can do daily water changes.

 

[Phyl]

The Live rock will also have die off contributing to an ammonia spike. I treated with hypo and I put a few pieces of base rock in (nothing to die off, plenty of space for bacteria). It made my fish MUCH more relaxed and I think aided his healing process. Since copper isn't involved that isn't a problem but with copper I would be worried about a very unstable environment with the rock absorbing/leaching copper. Unless I'm mistaken the copper is going to kill off your bio filtration anyway, isn't it? The rock would then be of very little use (no more so than the pvc fittings, anyway).

In a 15g tank with just my PT I battle to keep ammo below .2. Tangs are pretty messy fish.

 

[quarryshark]

I have an inch and a half clown, a one inch bicolor pseudochromis, and a 3 inch tang.

Yes, I would go with a 20 or sure.

Can I just use the live rock if I don't plan on adding it back to the main?

Anything porous is a bad idea in a hospital tank, will throw any med that you may use out of wack due to absorbtion. Just use PVC elbows for the fish to hide in.
Bare bottom is the best. 8O

 

[Dr.Nate]

wow, I didn't realize that LR would absorb the copper....thanks

 

[Dr.Nate]

Oh, and one more question....can I add new live rock to my main tank while it is fallow? Shouldn't affect the parasite dying off any, right?

 

[quarryshark]

can I add new live rock to my main tank while it is fallow? Shouldn't affect the parasite dying off any, right?

Absolutely a great time to do that. Thats what I did when I was in a similar situation a while back.

 

[Phyl]

If it isn't coming from a fishless system start your fallow period when you put the new rock in (no telling what's on it otherwise).