Setting up Temporary QT Tank - Basic Questions

bsdubois00

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I've spent some time reading and just can't quite find the answers hoping for some help. My plan is to have a temporary quarantine tank since space is not plentiful and when not in use I'll just have it sitting on a shelf in the closet.

Water - how / where do you fill up the QT tank? Do you take water from your main tank? Is it best to plan timing around a water change and just use that water to fill he QT?
Filter / Bio - In my main tank I'm planning on running a refugium or algae scrubber and not having any bio media - for the QT tank, I was looking at basic HOB filters, is a sponge filter adequate or do I need to run some sort of bio filter? Should I keep spare sponges in my sump (any issue with length of time they are in there)? Can I keep a media bag with filter media in my sump and use that for the filter?

Any issue with using a basic AIO 10gal big box store setup for a QT tank? going with simplicity / convenience
 
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bsdubois00

bsdubois00

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For the "media" since the DT is going to be running a refugium / scrubber - would you just keep some spare filter in the sump in a media bag to be used for the QT when needed? (or toss it in a week or so prior to knowing you'll need it).
 

Dragen Fiend

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For the "media" since the DT is going to be running a refugium / scrubber - would you just keep some spare filter in the sump in a media bag to be used for the QT when needed? (or toss it in a week or so prior to knowing you'll need it).
Yea I would add some marine bio balls or something in your DT sump. So when you plan to use the QT. You can toss that media in it for a quick start. How much you use depends on the bioload of the QT.
 

Dom

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Just don't make the mistake of moving items from the QT back to the display, particularly if you treated for disease.
 

TastesLikeChicken

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I have a sponge filter. I also added a HOB filter and bought some cheap plastic bioballs to put in the HOB filter to have additional substrate for the bacteria to grow on.
 
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bsdubois00

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For the filter - would something like this be perfect?

Have bioballs in one of the compartments and filter floss / sponge in the other?

1736790076284.png
 

TastesLikeChicken

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Yes it would. Please note that HOB and bionalls are technically not necessary. I just added it because I had an extra one laying around. A sponge filter technically is enough.

The hardest part of a QT is keeping the ammonia and nitrite at bay. I found that small daily water changes help along with keeping the food to a minimum.
 

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The foundation of a QT consists of: some type of filter, heater, aerator, PVC for hiding. I add medication to mine so I also use the medication and testing kits.
 

vetteguy53081

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I've spent some time reading and just can't quite find the answers hoping for some help. My plan is to have a temporary quarantine tank since space is not plentiful and when not in use I'll just have it sitting on a shelf in the closet.

Water - how / where do you fill up the QT tank? Do you take water from your main tank? Is it best to plan timing around a water change and just use that water to fill he QT?
Filter / Bio - In my main tank I'm planning on running a refugium or algae scrubber and not having any bio media - for the QT tank, I was looking at basic HOB filters, is a sponge filter adequate or do I need to run some sort of bio filter? Should I keep spare sponges in my sump (any issue with length of time they are in there)? Can I keep a media bag with filter media in my sump and use that for the filter?

Any issue with using a basic AIO 10gal big box store setup for a QT tank? going with simplicity / convenience
Scrubber not needed in quarantine tank. Use a seeded sponge with bacteria established along with air stone and fresh made seawater along with heater and you can utilize a hang on power filter - Just remove carbon from cartridge.
 
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bsdubois00

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Scrubber not needed in quarantine tank. Use a seeded sponge with bacteria established along with air stone and fresh made seawater along with heater and you can utilize a hang on power filter - Just remove carbon from cartridge.
The scrubber is in my main tank. Sorry that was a little confusing.
 

dangles

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Depending on how many fish you have in it, you likely won’t even need a filter as long as you’re doing water changes every 2-3 days.

Humblefish (both on YouTube and on his own forum) has tons of great info on running QT setups. He suggests just a basic tank, something for oxygenation (he uses an air stone), heat, and some PVC hides. That’s it. No lights or filtration needed. With that system he keeps ammonia at bay with water changes.

I started using that method for observation of new fish. I use a 10 gallon tank, a cheap Amazon wave maker, a heater/thermostat and some pvs pipes for hides. 50% water changes every 3 days. Super simple. Super easy.

I don’t even “seed” it with bacteria. The only reason to have biological filtration is for ammonia. If you’re doing water changes enough that won’t ever be an issue. You can use one of the ammonia alert badges if you’re worried.
 

dangles

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Depending on how many fish you have in it, you likely won’t even need a filter as long as you’re doing water changes every 2-3 days.

Humblefish (both on YouTube and on his own forum) has tons of great info on running QT setups. He suggests just a basic tank, something for oxygenation (he uses an air stone), heat, and some PVC hides. That’s it. No lights or filtration needed. With that system he keeps ammonia at bay with water changes.

I started using that method for observation of new fish. I use a 10 gallon tank, a cheap Amazon wave maker, a heater/thermostat and some pvs pipes for hides. 50% water changes every 3 days. Super simple. Super easy.

I don’t even “seed” it with bacteria. The only reason to have biological filtration is for ammonia. If you’re doing water changes enough that won’t ever be an issue. You can use one of the ammonia alert badges if you’re worried.



I do use water from my display for the water changes though. It keeps me from having to preheat it. I also think there might be a benefit for the new fish to start getting used to the display water and everything in it. Do fish “smell” each other? I have no idea but it can’t hurt :face-with-tears-of-joy:
 

Jay Hemdal

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Yea good reminder - just toss the media in the trash I assume
Remember though - if you’ve cleared fish through quarantine, and moved them to your display, your QT is just as “clean” as the fish are so you don’t need to discard the media or anything like that.
 

Jay Hemdal

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I've spent some time reading and just can't quite find the answers hoping for some help. My plan is to have a temporary quarantine tank since space is not plentiful and when not in use I'll just have it sitting on a shelf in the closet.

Water - how / where do you fill up the QT tank? Do you take water from your main tank? Is it best to plan timing around a water change and just use that water to fill he QT?
Filter / Bio - In my main tank I'm planning on running a refugium or algae scrubber and not having any bio media - for the QT tank, I was looking at basic HOB filters, is a sponge filter adequate or do I need to run some sort of bio filter? Should I keep spare sponges in my sump (any issue with length of time they are in there)? Can I keep a media bag with filter media in my sump and use that for the filter?

Any issue with using a basic AIO 10gal big box store setup for a QT tank? going with simplicity / convenience
Yes - you should hopefully have seasoned filter media in your DT that you can use to jump start your QT.

I use DT water to fill the QT, gives your DT a bit of a water change.
 
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bsdubois00

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Yes - you should hopefully have seasoned filter media in your DT that you can use to jump start your QT.

I use DT water to fill the QT, gives your FT a bit of a water change.
So hypothetically speaking I want to quarantine a new fish.

You’d just snag 10 gallons from your DT (assuming 10 gal QT) and then top off your DT hence doing a mini water change?
 
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bsdubois00

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Any reason this nano from Innovative Marine wouldn't work as a QT? My thought is that I'm going to leave the tank on my desk - I have plenty of space and it would give me something to look at so I wanted to go with something that looked 'nice' and streamline. My thought is that I can put some sort of filter material in the left chamber (filter sock / floss / etc etc) and then just toss in a bag of bio media from my sump in the back. All in seems like a good value ($120~) for everything for a tank that looks good.

1736863907259.png
 

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