Filter Media for quarantine tank HOB Filter

[blalaw87]

Good Evening,

I read through https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/page-4 to learn more about the quarantine process and got a lot of good information. I did have a couple questions I wasn't sure about.

I have a 29 long aqueon tank to use for my QT tank that I picked up a couple weeks ago. For the filter I just got a Aqueon Quiet Flow 30 Power Filter. My concern with that is not the filter but the media inside doing the filtration. It seems like filter it came with has carbon and there is a bio media grid that removes toxins as well. I know that while in QT you don't want anything removing the copper while doing the treatment process based off the article above. That is my understanding anyway. Right now I have put the filter in my main DT sump to seed it with bacteria. If that does not work I have in 2 filter cups in my sump BIO balls that I could remove and place in my QT tank to seed the media. But if I do that I don't believe I would want to put those back into my DT afterwards and just wanted to verify that.

Also with a 29 long how many fish should I add to the QT tank. I know that once I start the QT process any new fish that get added I would have to start over. I am not looking to add a ton but would 3-5 be too much for this process as long as they are peaceful or is it better to just stick with 2 or maybe 3?

Thanks for the help!

 

[TexanCanuck]

Hi there ... smart move building a QT system!

You are right that the key is creating some bio material you can add to your HOB filter that is "pre-seeded" with bacteria from your DT so it can do its job ... but once you use that media in a quarantine scenario you should NOT return it to the DT.

I use ceramic media for this purpose ... I keep enough extra material in my regular sump so that it is fully-loaded with bacteria ... then, when I need to setup the QT, I move it to the HOB filter on the quarantine system ... once I'm done with the QT setup, I throw it away and add new stuff to the sump in the DT for the next time.

I know there are other folks that simple sterilize the media using Potassium Permanganate and then return it to the DT, but I'm my view this is more trouble (and risk) than it's worth.

Don't use any other filtration media in your QT (i.e. no carbon) ... in your QT system you should only run mechanical filtration (i.e. filter floss) and bio media.

You can add as many fish to the QT as will get along ... with a 29 long you can easily accommodate half a dozen at the same time (assuming each fish is only a few inches long). Just remember that you will have to do very frequent water changes on the QT to maintain water quality (even with the pre-seeded bio material, a lot of the antibiotics you will add to the QT system will impair its function).

For a great look at a rigorous quarantine process, look at Marine Collectors or Dr Reef's Quarantined Fish ...both vendors walk you through the quarantine process they use on all of their fish.

Levels of Care | Quarantined Fish

Procedure for Quarantined Fish: After receiving fish, they are visually checked by Dr.Reef for any visible issues. Temperature is matched by floating the bags for 30 min. Most wholesalers send us fish at Salinity 1.018 and temp of 80F, so we keep our QT tanks at Salinity 1.018 and temp at 80F. O ...

drreefsquarantinedfish.com

Our Method

Our Method Quarantine: This is what you're paying for; it's what we do better than anyone else. Every fish we quarantine is hand picked, slowly acclimated, meticulously treated, and packed with care by our small elite team. Our eye for detail, as well as ability to pick fish, has been fine...

www.marinecollectors.com

 

[bnord]

Agree with the above but I use old fashion bio balls That are primed in already running refugium’s. This allows me to clean them thoroughly between QT runs and add them back into the tanks for reseeding

 

[benmed]

How many bioballs do you think is necesssary to seed a QT? Obviously this depends on the size of the bioballs and size of the tank but just looking for a rough estimate… one per gallon? Half per gallon?