# The Key to making a good QT tank?



## Jiinx (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi all,
I have a spare 20 G tank that I want to use again for a QT. I had it as a QT tank before but it ended up killing my fish. I wasn't sure why...perhaps an ammonia build up?

I have a ghost skimmer, a reactor...for the 20 G IM tank. Does anyone have one of these?

Does anyone have a good way of maintaining a QT tank? My fish didn't like mine and ended up dying in there...I lost some expensive fish that may have just did fine in the main tank and not gotten ich. 

thanks!


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## Addicted (Jan 1, 2014)

Typically, you wouldn't use a skimmer or reactor on a qt. Thise devices are used to remove things from the water that you dont need to remove in a simple fish qt. Just some water movement/air exchange and a heater.

If you are worried about ammonia, seed a sponge in your DT for a few weeks to get some bacteria on it. Just remember to never put it back in your DT when done with it.

If your fish died of ich in your QT, they brought it in themselves, and just would.have ended up infecting your display if they went right in, so good that they didn't. 

How you use the qt is dependant on the treatment you want to give the fish. I have found the best method is tank transfer to eliminate ich, then a few weeks in the qt for observation and prazipro.

If you are worried about ammonia, get an ammonia alert badge and/or test kit and be ready to treat with prime if any is present, along with regular water changes.


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

I posted the same issue about a month ago regarding quarantine tanks, and honestly, I think a lot of people have similar problems with quarantines and don't want to discuss it.
Quarantine tanks are not easy.
I think 10 or 20 gallon qt tanks are really really hard because changes in ammonia and nitrates can happen so quickly in small tanks that you could loose a healthy fish in hours because of build up in ammonia. I used sponges that are seeded and do slow drips to acclimate fish into a qt. I have ammonia checkers which I now believe are close to useless because the colour changes are not obvious.
I have now set up a 38 gallon qt to give me a larger volume of water. That has helped.
Yes I use a skimmer and a UV when I am not treating with meds. I use carbon after meds.
Yes, I believe in making sure there is nitrifying bacteria in the tank to deal with nitrates and I feed less than I would in a display and do water changes daily.

I keep the tank clean, remove all poop and old food off the floor daily. I treat with Aqua Vitro Alpha to remove ammonia if I feel there is an issue.

Beyond that, I too feel frustrated with quarantines and would love to have more success.


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

The key is to be prepared - get your meds ready way before hand and check the expiry dates. 

Keep the QT tank simple so it is easy to setup or tear down. Dedicated HOB filters, heaters etc for QT only. I have 4 small QT tanks and each has its own set of gear.

When you need to get your QT going, make plenty fresh salt water and at optimal parameters. 

Keep a sponge or two in your DT sump, rinse and clean when you do your weekly water changes using the old water. 

Make sure nothing goes back into the DT that has been used in the QT.. Not rock, nets, equipment etc. 

keep the QT in a low traffic area and give the fish enough hiding spots, PVC elbows and segments of pipe are a cheap and cheerful solution for this.

Keep your fish fed, but manage the waste by doing frequent water changes. I also like to feed the fish their regular diet and not introduce anything new. This goes for new acquisitions as well. A copperband butterfly isn't going to magically start eating pellets and flakes just because you want him to. In time perhaps, but you should be focused on getting the fish to eat .. And that means food that they will identify as such.


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

fury165 said:


> Keep your fish fed, but manage the waste by doing frequent water changes. .


best advice.

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## Jiinx (Apr 5, 2012)

I wish I could keep something more than a 20 G for a QT I just don't have the space or time to do anything bigger. 

And as for the fish that died in my QT previously, I don't know what it was - I think it was ammonia and nitrates that got them and stressed them rather than ich. There's just something about the 20 G IM tank - I think a lot of debris accumulates underneath the reactor and skimmer and if you're not cleaning and watching the tank, ammonia may go unnoticed. However, I did have a sandbed previously (I know, right..). This time it's bare bottom, with pvc and such like someone suggested. 

Thanks everyone...I find many people when they get fish they die in the QT tank. I find with my DT - the room and the rocks and the likeness of their own habitat may help them adapt better than a barren QT tank.


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Jiinx said:


> - the room and the rocks and the likeness of their own habitat may help them adapt better than a barren QT tank.


completely wrong. rocks will store ick spores, bacteria's, etc

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## Addicted (Jan 1, 2014)

Placing the fish in the DT right away is risking the lives of all your fish, as opposed to just the one. You could get lucky, or it could go the other way, which is much worse.

QT doesn't need to be stressful for the fish. They have a place all to themselves without other fish competing for food or bullying them. If they have hiding places (PVC) and nice clean water, they should be just fine - unless of course they came with a disease (which you may not see right away), or were caught with cyanide or other harmful method, or they just didn't transport well. All of which would still be the case in your DT.


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

sig said:


> completely wrong. rocks will store ick spores, bacteria's, etc





Addicted said:


> Placing the fish in the DT right away is risking the lives of all your fish, as opposed to just the one. You could get lucky, or it could go the other way, which is much worse.
> 
> QT doesn't need to be stressful for the fish. They have a place all to themselves without other fish competing for food or bullying them. If they have hiding places (PVC) and nice clean water, they should be just fine - unless of course they came with a disease (which you may not see right away), or were caught with cyanide or other harmful method, or they just didn't transport well. All of which would still be the case in your DT.


+100 to both posts. IMHO, the fish would be more stressed being thrown straight away into the DT and would be at a disadvantage trying to establish itself or fight for food after being stressed from capture and shipping.


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## Jiinx (Apr 5, 2012)

Thanks everyone  I'll be getting some PVCs and making my QT this weekend!


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

Keep it simple.... this is ALL you need:

Heater 
Airstone
AC50 with filter floss 
PVC elbows 
Ammonia alert badge 


You then need to decide on what (if any) treatments to proceed with. 

You should at the very least do 2 rounds of PraziPro for internal parasites like flukes. Prazi is very gentle and does not interfere with other meds. 

For Ich only 4 things work:
-chloroquine Phosphate 
-Copper 
-Tank Transfer (my preferred method for ich) 
- Hypo-salinity 

For Velvet 
-chloroquine Phosphate

For Brook
-Formalin Baths


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