Quarantine Tank

[ravenjred]

I am about to plum my 60 gallon cube this weekend and I want to set up a 10 or 20 gallon quarantine tank. I have some questions about the QT.
1. Is 10 g. big enough or should I get a 20?
2. Can I use just a sponge filter and air stone in it?
3. Do I need to have a powerhead to keep the water circulating?
4. Do I have to test for all of the same parameters that I would for the DT?
Thank you

 

[ebushrow]

Ok...a couple of questions....

Do you plan on hooking the 2 tanks together?
Do you plan on using this qt for corals or fish?
Do you plan on running the tank continuously or just as needed?

 

[ravenjred]

No plan on hooking them together.
For corals and fish.
Just use as needed.

 

[mfinn]

I use a 29 gallon for a qt tank, only because I got it used for $20.
I probably could get away with using a 20, but not a 10.

I keep a sponge filter and air pump going all the in the sump of my display tank.
When I need the qt tank I mix up 29 gallons of new water, move the sponge filter to the 29, toss in a few fake plants and a plastic freshwater cave I bought at a yard sale and instant qt tank.
Once in a while I'll leave the qt tank up for a month or two after using it with no sick fish and use it again.
But if I do have a bout of ick or whatever, after the fish have been cured and moved to the display tank, I'll empty the tank, clean everything with bleach, toss the sponges and buy new ones and put them back in the sump of the display tank.


I do have a spare powerhead I keep just for that tank.

 

[rayn]

What mfinn said. Basically exactly what I do.