quarantine tank ???

pirate · #1 11-16-2010, 08:02 PM

So once my quarantined fish leave the Q tank do I need to change the water? So far all the fish are healthy and looking good. Do I change the water if I used meds? When do you guys change the water in the Q tank?
How long do you leave the fish in quarantine? This is the first time I've used a quarantine tank, but I'm planning on doing it to all the fish and corals befor I put it into my tank.
Thanks

e46er · #2 11-17-2010, 12:55 AM

run carbon in the QT to remove anything
i let it run permanantly
i used to QT for 4 weeks.......had some issues so now im going to do
4 weeks hypo and an additional couple weeks at 1.026

mark · #3 11-17-2010, 01:06 AM

do find a QT builds up NH3 rather fast so I'd change the water or just drain and rinse out the tank if going to be sitting more than a few days as are easy to set.

When I used, was change water every couple of days (that NH3). Also if adding to a QT that has stock, clock starts over for all.

Myka · #4 11-17-2010, 05:56 PM

Unless there is always a new fish coming and going in the QT, the biological bacteria will die with no food (no fish), so there is no point in keeping it running.

I have always just set up a QT as needed. I have a small sheet of filter media in my sump (that I change weekly), and handy enough if I trim 1/2" off the end it fits right into the AquaClear I use on the QT, so it is always in the sump and available to "seed" the QT. I also fill the QT with at least 50% water from one of my other tanks, but preferrably 100% "used" water. The QT is always setup, just no water in it. I can't justify keeping it running with water when fish rarely pass through it, it would just be a pain in the butt to keep the bacteria colonies from dying and a waste of electricity.

pirate · #5 11-17-2010, 06:38 PM

Well right now I'm stocking my new tank, and I'll have a string of fish going thru the quarantine tank for a little while. So do I change the water (100% water change) between removing of the fish and adding of new fish to the quarantine tank? or do I just add new fish to the exsiting water that the old fish just left?
I'm using a magunim hot filter for the filtration on my quarantine tank, so once the tank is empty should I throw out the filter media? Or between adding of fish? If nothing was wrong can I just add the filter assy (with media) to my sump to keep it going? Or clean the whole filter assy and put a new filter media in and then put it on the sump?
As well with all the equipment that I'm using in the quarantine tank, right now it only sees the quartine tank, but once I take it down can I use the equipment that was in the quarantine tank in my display tank?

thank

Myka · #6 11-17-2010, 08:18 PM

So do I change the water (100% water change) between removing of the fish and adding of new fish to the quarantine tank? or do I just add new fish to the exsiting water that the old fish just left?

I would just do a typical 10% water change just to freshen it up, no need to do a 100% water change unless the last fish died in the QT. Provided the last fish left the QT in good health there is no reason to believe the water in the QT is infected.

I'm using a magunim hot filter for the filtration on my quarantine tank, so once the tank is empty should I throw out the filter media? Or between adding of fish? If nothing was wrong can I just add the filter assy (with media) to my sump to keep it going? Or clean the whole filter assy and put a new filter media in and then put it on the sump?

Provided the last fish was in good health when it left the QT, you can put the filter assembly in the sump as is if you want. A bit risky imo though because you rarely know "for sure" that the new fish is disease free.

As well with all the equipment that I'm using in the quarantine tank, right now it only sees the quartine tank, but once I take it down can I use the equipment that was in the quarantine tank in my display tank?

Sure, why not?