Quarantine

So, I was setting up a quarantine tank and wanted some advice.
Setup is 10 gal with 1 piece of PVC and one piece of rubber coral. It has a heater and a HOB mechanical filter on the back.
Questions1. Do I use a carbon in the filter? or just use it to move water?2. Should I add the air stone I have to increase oxygen?3. If I get a sand sifter (diamond watchman goby), where do I get silica sand for the quarantine?4. Am I missing anything else?
Thanks for the help!Pete

 

If it's quarantine tank, I would just go bare bottom and I would use carbon filter. but I would normally keep it empty till I had something to quarantine and then would use water from a water change since it would already be seasoned water. if you don't have a mini protein skimmer you will have to add an airstone. Just my thoughts.

 

One very important thing. Do not use silica sand for your sand sifters. It will harm them. You do not need sand just for quarantine purposes, but if you decide to use some, use aragonite.

If you have good surface agitation it will actually do more than an airdrome ever would. Ever a hang on back filter will do a lot for oxygenation. You can use carbon in the filter but only of you're not medicating as it will actually strip the medication from the water column.

I woul say to make sure you have a test kit. You will want to be testing your water at least daily to check for spikes. I would alsorexommend a bottle of amquel. If you do fall into trouble with ammonia you can convert it right in the tank to provide a less toxic environment for your fish.

 

Thanks for the help guys.
I am planning on going with a bare bottom tank but had heard a cool whip container with substrate was good to add for a sifter. I also have an HOB filter I will run carbon through. It is a small one. Do I need a power head for more water movement? I will definitely be checking the water for spikes. Do I need to add any sort of bacteria to help with the breakdown of waste? Just want to make sure I got this whole QT thing right. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Rubber coral? An artificial one Pete? Just use PVC. Bare bottom. If wrasse that sleep in the sand, then provide sand ;=) Amquel/Prime and Stability. A filter like a Hagen/AquaClear or Marineland/Penguin are good. Can keep the filter in the DT sump so it's seeded and ready when the QT is need (Wheel from the others can go in the sump like a foam filter) Don't need alot of flow for the fish but having helps when you transition it to the DT. Good surface agitation is needed for exchange. Heater and lights...don't hav lights on when first putting in tank ;-0) Purigen is good to have on hand. Qt is a good time to get to know the fish and it/they get to know/recognize you. I personally don't treat fish in QT unless I "know" they have something wrong. Garlic in food...always, as well as fish oil. I QT for a minimum of 6 weeks...8 is better :-0) GREAT that you are getting a QT/hospital tank...WOOT!!!

 

Really, what you need depends on what are are doing with the tank. Is this to hold fish and corals prior to adding to the main tank or is this for sick and/or injured fish/corals? if it's just a holding tank prior to adding stuff to main tank a small powerhead would be ok, if this is for sick fish and corals you would be better off with the flow from the HOB and using throw away water from a water change because you will more then likely dose in it anyway. but don't use the same tank for both.

 

If you use copper in the QT/hospital tank, keep some Cuprisorb on hand. You can soak the filter/wheel in it and it will take the copper out of it. I also put the cuprisorb in my DT sump as a precaution so that copper isn't transfered into the DT. Have done that for years with no problem. Often times drying out the filter/wheel or doing other common sense things makes it possible to put the QT filter/wheel back in the DT sump. It's also good to have PolyFilter available...it's takes out alot of chemicals ;-0)

 

Thanks for the help everyone. The tank is set up and the fish is doing quite well. The tank is just a quarantine for acclimating the fish before he gets dumped in the DT. So, I won't be running copper or anything. It has been set up since last Thursday night and the fish was added on Friday afternoon. Only 4 weeks to go before he gets added to the DT. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/sad.gif

Hopefully he stops hiding quite so much so I can actually keep an eye on him for disease. At least he comes out and eats when I feed. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/wink.gif