Quarantine Tank

[swanedog]

Looking at getting my 30 gallon set up as a quarantine tank. What all does it take to get a quarantine up and running? Does it need to be “established”? Want to have it in case of emergencies.

 

[EnterName]

This is all I can think of right now:

• Heaters + Controller with temperature probe(s)
• Airstone/air pump
• Some large PVC tubes serving as hiding place for fish. Porous things like reef rock absorb copper, so you might want to avoid this.
• Test kits: Ammonia + Nitrate, and Copper.
• Medication (e.g. Copper)
• Space for mixed saltwater in case you need to change water in the QT tank when ammonia rises.
• Buckets for water changes and for carrying animals from one tank to the other.
• Some way of filtration, usually a hang-on-back (hob) filter. Some people use sponge filters as well.
• (Optional) cheap lights

QT tanks are very often not fully cycled and require water changes to keep ammonia from rising. There isn't enough surface area for the nitrifying bacteria to do their job, and cycling takes time.

To reduce the chance of cross-contamination between QT and display tank, you might also want to get certain tools a second time (e.g. feeding pipette, fishing nets, etc.)

 

[swanedog]

Thank you! That’s a great start. Much appreciated.

 

[Fish Fan]

This is the R2R QT protocol, which discusses setting up the tank:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

Good luck!