Questions about building a QT

[mpcolson]

I purchased a 10 gallon tank and stand for a M*A*S*H unit QT tank. I'm putting the thing together and I have couple questions.

• Do I need to have a substrate? I read one suggestion that I only need to have a Tupperware of sand to provide sand sifters a place to rest.
• Do I need a Powerhead?
• Can I use any HOB filter? Like a penguin filter?
• If I only have a filter and heater on the tank, How do I cycle the tank?
• What do I do to maintain the tank when I am not quarantining fish?
• What"s the preferred light type for the QT tank.

I don't want to drop a grand on this QT. I also don't want to do it completely on the cheap. So help me out here folks.

[Isaac]

I've been told just a peaice or to of live rock a power head heater. N sum sand should suffice but how big is your dt 10 gallons could be on the small side

[mpcolson]

My DT is 55 gallons. I don't know how the QT is effected by the size of the DT. The QT is for temporary housing of the new additions to the DT and for placement of livestock that may be ill from the DT. The QT should never be populated by more than a fish or two at a time.

At least thats my understanding of it's purpose. Am I missing something?

[Rostr02]

Look the QT is real basic my current setup is for coral only, I am currently using a 10 gallon, heater, biowheel 200, activated charcoal in the filter, and thermostat. Bare bottom tank and frag stands.

If i were to set this up with fish I would just take everything in the QT and put it in a 20 gallon that I have, and take the frag stand out.

[Isaac]

In that case I guess it's fine I read a post from amphibious I believe tht said even in qt certain larger fish like tangs and triggers ect will need larger qts but, I'm still in salt water diapers to lol

[Rostr02]

It is just alot easier and more cost effective for me to use a smaller tank for the corals, the tank is more shallow so they get more light in the tank and the water changes are 1/2 of they what they would be in my 20gal

[CarmieJo]

I use a 10 gallon hospital/QT that torn down between uses. It is a bare bottom and with no rock. I use a bio-wheel filter and a heater in the tank and I stash the bio-wheel in the sump of my DT when I am not using the QT. I drop the bio-wheel in a bucket of bleach water before if goes back in my sump. I have some plastic pipes that the fish can hide in that can be bleached in between uses. I also put some caulerpa from my fuge in the tank for the fish to hide in, snack on, take up some nutrients and/or bring micro fauna into the tank. I don't use any meds as a prophylactic but this tank can be medicated if necessary.

Dick uses a spa QT that he keeps set up with a sandbed and LR. It is much nicer and prettier and if you have room for another tank to be set up all the time is a great solution. A spa QT can't be used with many meds so it is not a good hospital tank if you have to medicate the fish.

The bio-wheel is not good for corals as it tends to build up nitrates. When I have corals in QT I just run the filter without the bio-wheel for flow.

[Rostr02]

Thanks carmie forgot to mention that I did remove that portion of the biowheel, the wheel part. Just running with both chambers filled with activated charcoal.

[mpcolson]

So when you use the bio-wheel that you have "cured" for lack of a better term, in your sump, does that eliminate the need to "cycle" the QT?

It sounds like you set your QT up kind of at will. So can you then immediately use it?

I'm looking at buying a Marineland Penguin HOB filter for a 20 Gal. It will be over sized but I think the brand is dependable and parts easy to find. It comes with charcoal filters in it. And the trademark Bio-Wheel. So can I plug and Play with this or do I have to set it up and cycle the filter?

Also, can I seed it with some of the sand I have in my sump? I could loose some of it no problem. Dick's article on "Spa Tanks" says 1/2" substrate, I could use the sand in my sump to do that and seed the QT at the same time.

What's confusing me is when I break it all down, all the seeding and cycling would be wasted. At least I think it would.

Oh... This is making my head ache...

[Isaac]

so are bio wheels better then flu valvues just curious because i have 2 pengguins that my freind gave me?

[CarmieJo]

The idea behind a spa tank is that you don't break it down. For fish I have found that if I have kept the bio wheel in my sump that I am able to manage water quality with the filter and water changes. For corals, the bioload is so much lighter that i use the HOB filter to hold carbon (changed weekly) and manage water quality with water changes.

I think that for a QT or a FO (fish only) tank that either a HOB filter or a cannister are fine. For a reef tank neither are good. They are very efficient at nitrification and you will have high nitrate levels in no time at all.

[saltaddict]

I too do not leave a QT tank up all the time, it is as needed. I pull water from my DT and the media from the sump and it is ready. Small water changes often keep the water in good order.

[Rostr02]

I do not leave my QT up and running all of the time either. I use the water from my DT as well for the initial start and then do 2x week water changes to the QT. I do feed the corals 1x week and one of the water changes are done the day after a feeding.

Mpcolson I got the biowheel 200 for that same reason, I did not want to have to run a powerhead in the QT. The water movement is great, I just put mine on one of the sides that gave me flow across the 10gal

[mpcolson]

Ok, I think I'm getting the picture now. Basically you are taking the DT and making a small module from it. So there is no cycling. That was what I was thinking you could do.

Now just a question about lighting, should I buy a T5 or PC for the QT? I will not buy Halide it just isn't a good investment. I would need a light that will work with corals and fish. I'm thinking PC, does that sound right?

[Rostr02]

Either or will work perfectly fine, you don't need a ton of lighting here. Halides are way overkill. I am currently using a t5ho cause I have an extra, pc will work just as well. Basically Matt I would get whatever is going to be cheaper, both lights will do the job.

[CarmieJo]

I am usually only QTing corals for 2 weeks and I just use an old PC.