QT Questions

Tower

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Hi folks,

The DT and QT are currently being built. It's been ten years since I was in the hobby and I lost a few fish to ich back then. Not something I'd care to repeat!

Honestly, I find I'm a little conflicted about quarantining. On one side is the 'I wouldn't ever add anything to my tank without quarantining after'... (insert tank related horror story here) camp. On the other side is the 'I've never quarantined anything and my fish are all breeding/corals growing out the top' camp.

That said, I'm planning on playing it safe. My first two inhabitants will be a pair of Picasso clowns. The qt won't have any denitrifying bacteria so I'm planning on using some ATI Colony. I'm adding an air driven sponge filter. Will I need to add any other media for the bacteria to colonise or is this likely to be enough? I intend to treat with copper.

aquarium_sponge_filter_double.jpg
@ReefSquad
 
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Sam816

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Your best option is to find a local (or at reasonable distance) quarantine service provider. You will pay more for a fish but it will be worthwhile.
If u want to Quarantine yourself then get a hang-on-back filter with built in UV preferably oversized for your QT. Oversized because to kill/manage parasites u need to run uv with lower flow through it.(see attached pic)
U can buy some bio media and start a cycle in a bucket (with heater and wave maker) right away. By the time you set up your QT u will have some seeded bio media ready. It will also help cycling your DT. Also, plan your aquascape, cement/glue rock pieces & start curing them. I cured my rock with some seachem phosban and a sludge buster bacteria-in-a-bottle. My ugly phase lasted for 4 days primarily due to new sand.
I hope some of these tips are useful for you.
 

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Billdogg

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I don't use any biological filtration in my 20L QT. I rely on frequent water changes using water from my FT (~5g/day), so that it gets water changes too. Win Win IMO. Some PVC pieces a power head and a heater are the only things in my QT. I don't treat with copper. It can be difficult to dose - too little does nothing, too much can harm the fish. I use the Tank Transfer Method instead. My "tanks" are simply 5g buckets with PH/heater. It is a bit more labor intensive but is also 100% effective if done properly. I do dose the actual QT with Prazipro, but only because TTM doesn't work for internal parasites.
 
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Tower

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I don't use any biological filtration in my 20L QT. I rely on frequent water changes using water from my FT (~5g/day), so that it gets water changes too. Win Win IMO. Some PVC pieces a power head and a heater are the only things in my QT. I don't treat with copper. It can be difficult to dose - too little does nothing, too much can harm the fish. I use the Tank Transfer Method instead. My "tanks" are simply 5g buckets with PH/heater. It is a bit more labor intensive but is also 100% effective if done properly. I do dose the actual QT with Prazipro, but only because TTM doesn't work for internal parasites.
Thanks Billdogg,

Does your method treat for velvet or brook?
 

Billdogg

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I believe so. There are several threads both on this site and another if you google it.

hth!
 
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Tower

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I believe so. There are several threads both on this site and another if you google it.

hth!
Thanks mate, I like the idea of the tt method but was led to believe it only treated ich. I'll keep researching.
 

Arabyps

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Thanks mate, I like the idea of the tt method but was led to believe it only treated ich. I'll keep researching.
Here is TTM for Ich, Velvet and Brook.

 
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Here is TTM for Ich, Velvet and Brook.

Sweet, thank you @Arabyps
 

AfaceInTheCrowd

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The sponge will be ok but you will probably need two depending on air pump size .. don’t use UV in a QT. It will break down the medication.
Copper is easy, but I recommend you spend the money on a hanna copper checker and use copper power not cupramine. You may as well use API general cure simultaneously to cover all bases, ( except internal parasites)
An alternative is formaldehyde this will blanket cure most of what you’re likely to encounter. It’s kinder to fish but you need to be careful when handling it and you won’t need to buy the checker
 
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Tower

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The sponge will be ok but you will probably need two depending on air pump size .. don’t use UV in a QT. It will break down the medication.
Copper is easy, but I recommend you spend the money on a hanna copper checker and use copper power not cupramine. You may as well use API general cure simultaneously to cover all bases, ( except internal parasites)
An alternative is formaldehyde this will blanket cure most of what you’re likely to encounter. It’s kinder to fish but you need to be careful when handling it and you won’t need to buy the checker
Thanks dude, appreciate it
 
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