Do I need a QT for my first 2 fish?

polyppal

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I don't, I'm buying my sw from my lfs, but I can do the sponge thing np.

I have the filter media stuff and sponges. Should I bag em and put them in my dt till after the cycle? Then I can just put them in the canister with fresh saltwater and be cycled?
Yup exactly. Thats what most experienced peeps will do - just leave a sponge in the sump so its seeded with bacteria. It will take time for that beneficial bacteria buildup though.

Very important - make sure when you finish the quarantine not just to throw the media bag back into your DT sump! I would discard the media, but if you wanted to reuse it you'll want to completely sterilize it and dry it out before throwing it in your DT sump. If you use any copper or non-reef safe meds, I would not keep it since it can absorb the meds.
 

Dark_Knightt

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I started my tank with a plan to only keep 2 clownfish, nothing else, not even corals or CUC. Turns out they are essential (well no corals, kind of lol ;) ) I didnt QT them cuz i figured they would need to be in there anyways. But as I am about to setup my new 65g, I am thinking of "quarantining" my clowns in my current tank while the new one cycles, then I will add them, but as I add new fish to the 65g I will definitely quarantine for abotu 3-4 weeks in my current tank, which will just be an extra tank for such a thing. I have also thought of buying a fish right now and quarantining it with my clowns, but if it did have any diseases it could possibly spread to the clowns. But I trust my LFS, the always quarantine and medicate all new fish for at least 2 weeks, and they come from a place where they pre quarantine them so there isnt exactly a need for me to do it. *Though shipping can sometimes cause illnesses in a fish*
 

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Shipping doesn't cause illness. The illness is already present. Shipping stress creates an opportunity for that illness to worsen to a point where it's visible.

If you've already had the clownfish awhile, additional quarantine won't do any good, unless you decide to medicate. You definitely need to not put them in a tank that isn't cycled yet, though.
 

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Shipping doesn't cause illness. The illness is already present. Shipping stress creates an opportunity for that illness to worsen to a point where it's visible.

If you've already had the clownfish awhile, additional quarantine won't do any good, unless you decide to medicate. You definitely need to not put them in a tank that isn't cycled yet, though.
Oh ok thats cool to know. No dw I will wait at least 3 weeks before adding the clowns, and ill be ghost feeding the tank to help with cycling.
 

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Just ghost feeding may not be enough. Unless you've added really well-established live rock, preferably from the ocean, you should really be dosing ammonia and monitoring levels to verify that the tank is fully cycled.
 

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Just ghost feeding may not be enough. Unless you've added really well-established live rock, preferably from the ocean, you should really be dosing ammonia and monitoring levels to verify that the tank is fully cycled.
Will live sand help? As well as dosing beneficial bacteria?
 

CanuckReefer

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I'm almost done cycling my tank and currently have no inhabitants.

What are the dangers of no QT tank at , or is it safe to just go right into the DT?

I feel like I shouldn't have to go through the process of setting up a new one when I don't even have my main tank fully running yet.
I would ask your local retailer to QT for you IF you trust them....its going to cost you more but you'll have more piece of mind if you don't run a QT tank.....
 

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Live sand and beneficial bacteria will certainly help things along, but you have to test the water to know when the cycle is done. Also, live sand and bottled bacteria have both been in storage for awhile, they don't necessarily have the best bacterial population to them.
 
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Matt Miller

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Another online shop thats absolutely fantastical is @tsmaquatics
Website: https://tsmaquatics.com/
The fish are fully qt’d and shipped. Super trustworthy and have incredible quality
That is a nice place, they don't have frostbite clowns but I did email them and will look into my other options.

Thanks for all the help on this subject, I will get my QT process in order or find a place to do it for me!
 

Rickybobby

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For small fish like clowns I found a deal at petsmart. 5g tank with lid and filter 50 bux it is possible to qt for cheap
 
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Matt Miller

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For small fish like clowns I found a deal at petsmart. 5g tank with lid and filter 50 bux it is possible to qt for cheap
I bought a 20g and big canister filter to set up for a QT in the beginning, but I think I got mixed up and confused trying to figure this all out.

I was going to use my qt to get my cycle done while I finished my dt setup. I ended up scrapping that idea and just waited till I was done, enough, with my stand to get it cycling.

That's kinda where I'm at now lol.
 
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Matt Miller

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Ok, I've got media and the extra dry rock in the tank now while it finishes cycling.

I'm also in the process of trading my 20g for a 10g to set up as a QT
 

cmoore806

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no sense QT if you don't plan to QT everything. I started a small display tank that was cycled with rock and I dosed with ammonia to cycle it. I put in a cleanup crew first and they were in there 76 days (a fallow period) to guarantee there was no ich in the tank at all. Some point during this process I started display tank and quarantined my fish for over a month following prophylactic copper treatment and a couple other medications. Then when everyone had been quarantined I put them in the display.

I will admit I got lazy and justified not quarantining corals because I am not setup to separately QT them. So I prayed.

One day I would get a QT setup for coral, certainly when my display tank is more than the current 13.5 nano tank!
 
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Matt Miller

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no sense QT if you don't plan to QT everything. I started a small display tank that was cycled with rock and I dosed with ammonia to cycle it. I put in a cleanup crew first and they were in there 76 days (a fallow period) to guarantee there was no ich in the tank at all. Some point during this process I started display tank and quarantined my fish for over a month following prophylactic copper treatment and a couple other medications. Then when everyone had been quarantined I put them in the display.

I will admit I got lazy and justified not quarantining corals because I am not setup to separately QT them. So I prayed.

One day I would get a QT setup for coral, certainly when my display tank is more than the current 13.5 nano tank!

I have a 10g ready along with extra rocks/foam for the cycle when I get my fish.

Although I may have messed up already because I didn't think cuc got quarantined so there are a few snails and a peppermint shrimp in my dt.
 

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