Maintain a QT?

Chbix · Oct 7, 2020

So after losing my entire 40g tank to velvet, I have learned... My new build will have everything in QT plan to treat with Prazi and copper. Do you guys clean and sterilize in between batches of new fish? I was thinking I was going to clean/sterilize and just seed the QT tank with new media from my DT (no I will not take it back and forth). But if you are treating with copper at therapeutic levels and dosing with prazi, is there anything left for the new batch to get sick from? If you are simply maintaining a QT tank, do you just ghost feed in between ? Just curious how everyone is doing it.

BlennyTime · Oct 7, 2020

I wouldn’t clean and sterilize (unless the fish in there previously dies of course), but a large water change would be good practice.

I keep a QT set up if I know I’m adding a few fish in a row, otherwise I keep it empty and drained.

Chbix · Oct 8, 2020

BlennyTime said:
I wouldn’t clean and sterilize (unless the fish in there previously dies of course), but a large water change would be good practice.

I keep a QT set up if I know I’m adding a few fish in a row, otherwise I keep it empty and drained.

The large water change would also lower the copper and then I could bring them back up to therapeutic levels. Thanks for the input.

dwest · Oct 8, 2020

Chbix said:
So after losing my entire 40g tank to velvet, I have learned... My new build will have everything in QT plan to treat with Prazi and copper. Do you guys clean and sterilize in between batches of new fish? I was thinking I was going to clean/sterilize and just seed the QT tank with new media from my DT (no I will not take it back and forth). But if you are treating with copper at therapeutic levels and dosing with prazi, is there anything left for the new batch to get sick from? If you are simply maintaining a QT tank, do you just ghost feed in between ? Just curious how everyone is doing it.

I use the quarantine method below and my success rate is better than ever. To answer your question, typically I add new fish every couple of years, so I completely break down my quarantine tank in between. Air drying is my sterilization. Recently though, I quarantined a few batches of wrasses back to back. So I did a big water change and left the tank running.

My Current QT Process

UPDATE, 10/9/22: For those looking for quarantine information, our current process is kept updated on the first page of this thread (post any questions at the end of the thread). https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/ Thanks, Jay Hemdal I am frequently...

www.reef2reef.com

Chbix · Oct 8, 2020

dwest said:
I use the quarantine method below and my success rate is better than ever. To answer your question, typically I add new fish every couple of years, so I completely break down my quarantine tank in between. Air drying is my sterilization. Recently though, I quarantined a few batches of wrasses back to back. So I did a big water change and left the tank running.

My Current QT Process

UPDATE, 10/9/22: For those looking for quarantine information, our current process is kept updated on the first page of this thread (post any questions at the end of the thread). https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/ Thanks, Jay Hemdal I am frequently...

www.reef2reef.com

I foresee that once I get the bulk of my livestock in. I am just looking at the next few months to a year as I am stocking a new 180 that isnt event wet yet. Once I am done for a good bit I will break down the QT until I get ready for something else to QT. Thanks for the link.

Drumstin · Oct 8, 2020

After losing almost all my fish in an ich battle about a year ago i decided to become strict about qt. I went fishless for 75 days in display and have not added any fish without qt from that point forward. Results have been very good. Though I’ve been lucky that during observation all were healthy. I keep the QT tank up always and even have live rock and a few snails/hermits. Bare bottom, 10G. I do not put any medicine in the tank of course as a result. What my plan is, should I have a qt fish who needs to be treated, to take rocks and inverts out into a 5 gallon bucket and keep them going while I treat fish once done I’ll do major water changes and run qt through carbon quite a bit before putting the rock/inverts back into qt. Probably not what a lot of folks do but I feel really good that my qt tank is always cycled and ready to put new fish in any time I need. Also, it’s right behind my main tank so I share the ato container between the two and have RO on a float valve into that container so both are always topped off automatically. Loving it so far.

dwest · Oct 8, 2020

Chbix said:
I foresee that once I get the bulk of my livestock in. I am just looking at the next few months to a year as I am stocking a new 180 that isnt event wet yet. Once I am done for a good bit I will break down the QT until I get ready for something else to QT. Thanks for the link.

Mine is a 180 also. It’s a great size. The Hanna copper checker is a must IMO. Also, matching the salinity of the quarantine tank to the incoming fish was something I hadn’t done in the past that I believe is very important. Good luck!

Drumstin · Oct 8, 2020

Rookie mistake: (I still am quite a rookie), had some macro algae in the qt tank for fun on a rock and didnt quite know the fox face would enjoy it more than I did. Lol. Needless to say it vanished pretty quick.