Set up a coral/invert QT. Not sure I am keeping them as happy/heathy as I can. Advice most appreciated.

cybrook1421 · Jul 27, 2022

I set up a coral/invert QT on Friday. It is a 10 gallon with a sponge filter and a few rocks from my DT. the CUC I have in it are 8 hermits, 4 astrea snails, 4 turbo snails, 1 nassarius snail. The corals I have in it are zoas, candy cane, and a torch. I did not dip any of the corals. I am mostly concerned about the torch. My zoas are also not opening up.

I am feeding the tank some marine S pellets once a day, and a 1/4 sheet of nori every few days. The snails have already eaten most of the algae on the rocks from the DT. Should I add in feeding some algae pellets once a day too?

For the torch, it was dark purple/blue at the store. I didn't have a proper light until Monday, but now it should have enough light. I just upped the flow by placing in a small filter powerhead from my fluval spec I wasn't using. Now the torch has some flow and is waving around, but the middle still looks white. The tendrils look almost as extended as they were in the store, so they aren't very retracted. Do I have anything I need to be concerned about or just let it ride for a few more days and see how it does with the new light and flow?

At this point, I am willing to risk the ich/velvet on torch if it will not survive in the QT. Which of the two flow options below looks best? I am planning on rotating it every day a little bit so the flow isn't just on that one side.

Pics

Flow example #1 (lighter flow)

Flow example #2 (higher flow)

Thank you in advance to any and all help!

Tiki_Reef · Jul 27, 2022

Is the live rock new rock or did it come out of your DT?

SteveMM62Reef · Jul 27, 2022

Probably not enough flow. You could use a pair of ”Mountain _Ark” pumps available on Amazon, @ about $18.00. You’ll need a 12 Vdc Power Supply for the pumps, I’d get one big enough to run four pumps. Maybe someone, will have a suggestion for a Small enough Nano Pump for this Aquarium. Put your discard water from your display tank, in this tank when you do water changes. Also spot feed with ReefRoids, every day at the same time, I use a Hypodermic type Syringe, hooked to Lee’s Rigid tubing with Silicone Air Line, and a piece of this Soft Airline at the tip, in case I accidentally bump the Coral. My Mountain Ark Pumps run in weekly test, and power outages for flow They’ve been in use 15 months, with no problems.

tankstudy · Jul 27, 2022

I would run an ammonia test. Your rocks may not have enough bacteria to deal with all those inhabitants and a feeding schedule.

If you get any level appearing on the test, do an immediate water change and find some bottled bacteria to add afterwards.

cybrook1421 · Jul 27, 2022

Tiki_Reef said:
Is the live rock new rock or did it come out of your DT?

The big piece on the left and the smaller piece in the middle came from my DT covered in algae. The one on the right was new.

SteveMM62Reef said:
Probably not enough flow. You could use a pair of ”Mountain _Ark” pumps available on Amazon, @ about $18.00. You’ll need a 12 Vdc Power Supply for the pumps, I’d get one big enough to run four pumps. Maybe someone, will have a suggestion for a Small enough Nano Pump for this Aquarium. Put your discard water from your display tank, in this tank when you do water changes. Also spot feed with ReefRoids, every day at the same time, I use a Hypodermic type Syringe, hooked to Lee’s Rigid tubing with Silicone Air Line, and a piece of this Soft Airline at the tip, in case I accidentally bump the Coral. My Mountain Ark Pumps run in weekly test, and power outages for flow They’ve been in use 15 months, with no problems.

I have another nano powerhead that I will try. Are you sure the last video doesn't have enough flow? I just put that fluval filterhead in there this morning, so should I give it a chance before I up the flow more?

tankstudy said:
I would run an ammonia test. Your rocks may not have enough bacteria to deal with all those inhabitants and a feeding schedule.

If you get any level appearing on the test, do an immediate water change and find some bottled bacteria to add afterwards.

Will do. I should have enough bacteria between the rocks and some bioballs you can't see that are behind the rocks. I'll do a check and if it reads any then I'll put in more bioballs, add bacteria and do a water change like you said.

For all of you:
At what point do I abandon the QT to save the torch? I'm don't think there is ich/velvet but just quarantining for the purpose of risk management. What are the signs I am looking for to know the torch is going more downhill?

SteveMM62Reef · Jul 27, 2022

I can’t watch the Video on my Device, I was basing my answer on the position of the pump, and looking at the bubbles, rising off the Sponge Filter. Can you mount the pump on the Glass? Two pumps aimed at each other, would be best,

Tired · Jul 27, 2022

Theoretically there could be ich cysts attached to anything wet, so you'd have to think about where you got the torch. Somewhere with a lot of ich, like a LFS sale tank that's had a lot of fish come through?

Those rocks don't look very mature, so they might not have brought much bacteria in. Definitely check ammonia.

cybrook1421 · Jul 27, 2022

SteveMM62Reef said:
I can’t watch the Video on my Device, I was basing my answer on the position of the pump, and looking at the bubbles, rising off the Sponge Filter. Can you mount the pump on the Glass? Two pumps aimed at each other, would be best,

No I can't. It's not a true powerhead, just a low power filter pump from my fluval spec. I'll switch it out with a koralia nano I have in my DT sump and hopefully that will help.

Let me know when you take a look at the video if it is generally ok flow or if I need more. Thank you for your help!

Tired said:
Theoretically there could be ich cysts attached to anything wet, so you'd have to think about where you got the torch. Somewhere with a lot of ich, like a LFS sale tank that's had a lot of fish come through?

Those rocks don't look very mature, so they might not have brought much bacteria in. Definitely check ammonia.

I've never seen ich at the LFS I got them from (been going there at least 6 months now) but it is certainly possible, which is why I'm QTing. The tanks they hold corals in generally have a much slower paced stocking than the rest of the store. But I don't want to risk the health of the torch either and am willing to just go straight to DT if I really need to.

The two on the left don't look mature but they are. They are from the DT and were in there 3 months. The turbo snails really cleaned them.