QT as a mini display?

[jsanbor1]

My 150.4 Waterbox won't be here until Fall probably at this point.. So, I'm thinking about setting up a small tank for my wife's office, I mean, the bosses office in the meantime so I can get started. It will be a QT once I actually get going, but will need to look good if it lives in there.

Is this a dumb idea or does anyone else have a Quarantine Tank that also looks cool?

 

[DmitryB]

I am literally considering this too. Live rocks in a bucket and I'm getting one of those 15 gallon Innovation Marine AIO setups for $100 that will be a quarantine tank, but in the meantime I may get a couple of clowns in there until the display tank shows up!

 

[jsanbor1]

I am literally considering this too. Live rocks in a bucket and I'm getting one of those 15 gallon Innovation Marine AIO setups for $100 that will be a quarantine tank, but in the meantime I may get a couple of clowns in there until the display tank shows up!

Nice. I'm going to do the same. It'll be fun to put a bit of live gulf live rock/sand in there and see what shows up!

 

[jonelder68]

rock will absorb copper and not recommended. Why everyone uses pvc fittings for caves/shelter. When you say QT do you plan on proactively treating fish for diseases? Or are you referring to just an observation tank? Either way rock is not suggested. A small glass bin of sand is ok especially for wrasses and gobies who need it.

Here is my 20L QT set up. I leave bags of ceramic media and a sponge filter in DT sump to seed it with bacteria. Ready to go always. Once finished I pitch it and add another to DT sump for next time. I step up QT when new fish are coming and take down and sterilize after I’m done.

 

[TokenReefer]

I am literally considering this too. Live rocks in a bucket and I'm getting one of those 15 gallon Innovation Marine AIO setups for $100 that will be a quarantine tank, but in the meantime I may get a couple of clowns in there until the display tank shows up!

I just grabbed one of those im 15 aio. Great quality. Ive had rocks in a bucket for a while with a powerhead so just grabbed one of these tanks to put them in along with a few fish that were living in the sump. Much better. Nano ato and a nano skimmer. Done. Fairly cheap. Eventually I'll add light...probably

 

[JumboShrimp]

Among my many tanks, I have an IM 20-gallon fool-around-with-softie-corals tank, and an IM 15-gallon QT tank (pretty much always up a running.) Both are excellent tanks, in my opinion.

 

[jsanbor1]

rock will absorb copper and not recommended. Why everyone uses pvc fittings for caves/shelter. When you say QT do you plan on proactively treating fish for diseases? Or are you referring to just an observation tank? Either way rock is not suggested. A small glass bin of sand is ok especially for wrasses and gobies who need it.

Here is my 20L QT set up. I leave bags of ceramic media and a sponge filter in DT sump to seed it with bacteria. Ready to go always. Once finished I pitch it and add another to DT sump for next time. I step up QT when new fish are coming and take down and sterilize after I’m done.

I like idea of an observation tank. Is that a successful QT strategy if I don't ever use copper? I have a feeling this will end up being a mini reef tank like JumboShrimps and I'll need another proper QT tank later.

 

[jonelder68]

I like idea of an observation tank. Is that a successful QT strategy if I don't ever use copper? I have a feeling this will end up being a mini reef tank like JumboShrimps and I'll need another proper QT tank later.

So if you do observation what happens if ich or something pops up? Then you need to treat? With rock in the tank it’s not wise.

 

[DmitryB]

rock will absorb copper and not recommended. Why everyone uses pvc fittings for caves/shelter. When you say QT do you plan on proactively treating fish for diseases? Or are you referring to just an observation tank? Either way rock is not suggested. A small glass bin of sand is ok especially for wrasses and gobies who need it.

Here is my 20L QT set up. I leave bags of ceramic media and a sponge filter in DT sump to seed it with bacteria. Ready to go always. Once finished I pitch it and add another to DT sump for next time. I step up QT when new fish are coming and take down and sterilize after I’m done.

Hadn't thought of medication affecting the rock. I'll be using the tank to keep a new fish for a few weeks of quarantine when I get someone new. And if a fish is sick. Good idea about getting fake stuff. Though I would be concerned about there not being enough filtration without rock/sand. If I were to throw in a little bit of sand, how do I keep it "live" between quarantine sessions. I assume it'd need more than just sitting in a mason jar of tank water.

 

[BeanAnimal]

It's not just medication that is a problem. As mentioned above, if you do observe disease, then the "QT" is now now no different than the display. It is an infected system that has to be medicated, fallowed or sanitized depending on what is observed.

Nice though, not a functional idea.

 

[jsanbor1]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Much appreciated!

Another thought... For whatever reason, I love the idea of seeing what hitchhikers will show up on live rock/sand and I also don't want to wait until the Fall to get a tank going.

So, what do y'all think about starting this IM 15 AIO as an invert only tank? Get some live sand/rock, see what shows up and don't put any fish in there?

 

[BeanAnimal]

That will work just fine. Just move the livestock out to the display before you use it as a QT. If you leave it there, it is not a QT.

 

[DmitryB]

Among my many tanks, I have an IM 20-gallon fool-around-with-softie-corals tank, and an IM 15-gallon QT tank (pretty much always up a running.) Both are excellent tanks, in my opinion.

Question on evaporation in a small tank. How do you stay on top of that? The swing can be huge?

 

[jonelder68]

Question on evaporation in a small tank. How do you stay on top of that? The swing can be huge?

My QT I just top off in the morning and at night. It doesn’t evaporate much even with Airstone & sponge filters running.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I finally broke down (mentally ) and put a small ATO on both my 20-gallon IM DT at home and the 24-gallon AquaTop DT at the office. Well worth the peace of mind/convenience. The 15-gallon QT (when in use) is quick and easy to top off manually, since I'm attending to it closely each day of the QT process. (My two BioCubes of course have closed lids, and so evaporation is slowed.)

 

[DmitryB]

Nice. I'm going to do the same. It'll be fun to put a bit of live gulf live rock/sand in there and see what shows up!

IM does not make stands for these 15 gallon cubes. I'm having a hard time finding a stand that's not $300!

 

[JumboShrimp]

I'm memory serves me correct, a stand for a 16-gallon BioCube just barely does the the trick for the 15" x 15" IM... but you might want the IM DYI neoprene mat for extra stability. (If I didn't have my BioCube sitting on its stand right now, I would take my IM 15 gallon AIO over there and lay on the stand for you and let you know. )

 

[DmitryB]

I'm memory serves me correct, a stand for a 16-gallon BioCube just barely does the the trick for the 15" x 15" IM... but you might want the IM DYI neoprene mat for extra stability. (If I didn't have my BioCube sitting on its stand right now, I would take my IM 15 gallon AIO over there and lay on the stand for you and let you know. )

I just unpacked the IM 15 to do a water test. (Cross your fingers everyone!) There's a leveling mat already attached to it.

Basically as things are going, this "QT" tank is just going to be a nano tank in my bedroom (2-3 small fishes, sand, rock) and I'll need something else for quarantine. Do people use 5 gallon buckets? Or now I'll need another - preferably acrylic so it's less fragile - 10 or so gallon for QT.

.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Congrats! Depending on the sales bundle, the mat that came with yours might be the extremely thin one; adequate, but if you want a more generous cushion, their thicker cut to size is available. (Not as crucial on just the 15-gallon, as say a 150-gallon!) Please enjoy the tank, and keep photos coming.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Congrats! Depending on the sales bundle, the mat that came with yours might be the extremely thin one; adequate, but if you want a more generous cushion, their thicker cut to size is available. (Not as crucial on just the 15-gallon, as say a 150-gallon!) Please enjoy the tank, and keep photos coming.