Restocking tank and adding corals?

**mcastfalk** · 07-07-2009, 08:20 AM

I had taken down my QT tank due to space issues. I just put it back up the other day and am starting to cycle it. It is a 10 gal QT tank with bio filter (sponge type), heater & a regular small tank Marineland filter. I added some rubble rock from the display tank to get the biological filter going. I also used 2 gal of water from the display tank to jump start it as well. Is there anything else that you can suggest to get it started? I'd like to get an inexpensive fish and put it in within the next few days to keep the cycling going - otherwise, I'm not sure how to measure the parameters.

I'd also like to add some mushroom polyps or something to the display tank, something easy to start with. Any suggestions? Do I quarentine them as well? The store I'd buy them from keeps the corals separate from the fish in their own tank. Also, my QT doesn't have daylight bulbs, just the standard bulbs for a small tank. I would think that would be an issue for the corals. I've never added corals before, so any advice is appreciated.

Finally, my live rock looks like it could use another piece to even out the "reef". Is it safe to add more live rock to the tank while adding fish and/or corals?

Michael

**Bubbles** · 07-07-2009, 09:00 AM

i'm not that much of an expert, far from it actually. But for me i got 29 gallon aquarium and i beg to differ the quarantine rule!
i've added multiple corals and fish to no problems whatsoever. however with your reefs and as you do have a quarantine tank i would suggest using it to quarantine it for a day. that way, with the lights you have it shouldn't harm the coral.
Also when you quarantine corals you aren't really doing anything to prevent disease,or just a little bit. what you are mainly doing is checking for any unwanted critters that may be lurking in the rock the coral is attached to. Bristle worms are one.
most common leather corals that you see in the shops are nice and easy. even the finger leather corals aren't too difficult. Most easiest is probably the Button polyps and Star polyps.
how big is your tank by the way?

**rayme07** · 07-07-2009, 04:00 PM

I'm sorry but I am going to have to disagree with bubbles. You should always quarantine fish and if you have the right lights and water parameters for corals then it would also be smart to quarantine the coral to. Both should be QTed for at least a month kind of think of it as a spa. QTing the specimen for a day to me seems like it would put the coral into more of a shock. Besides I don't think any disease will come up in one day if it does happen to have a bug on it.

**mcastfalk** · 07-07-2009, 05:40 PM

Here's what I have:

30 Gal Tank, Fish & Live Rock only (for now)
10,000k 98W Daylight bulb (Coralife ballast), on for 8 hours/day
460nm Actinic Bulb (same ballast), on for 8 hours/day, simultaneously with the daylight

The QT is a 10 Gallon tank and it has a small Marineland filter and a biological sponge filter. I added live rock from the display tank (small pieces) to cycle it. However, it just has standard flourecent lights. That won't work for corals, will it? I"ve had my eye on either the mushroom or star polyp corals.

MIchael

**Iron E** · 07-07-2009, 06:15 PM

I (for long drawn out explanation) put some star polyp corals in my display tank where they made a very feeble start. They were barely coming out at all. I thought the Arrow Decorator Crab had eaten it all. I took the frag out of the DT and put it in my QT (which only has a "normal" fluorescent bulb in it) hoping that if anything was left it would come back. The next day, it came out in full bloom. I suspect the DT lights were too much to start with after a stressful move and the QT was just what it needed. I have since replaced the polyps back in the DT and they are doing fine.

Long story short. I think your corals would probably do fine temporarily under your "standard" fluorescents.

Tom

**CarmieJo** · 07-07-2009, 10:47 PM

There are many people who luckily go for years without QTing anything and then reality catches them and they wipe out a tank. I have worked too hard on my tanks to run this risk.

So for me, all fish go in QT for a minimum of 4 weeks and corals, inverts and macros go in QT for 2 weeks. If I was to add LR it would also be QT'd for 2 weeks. If you are adding base rock there is no chance of bad hitch hikers but I would soak it in fresh water (or water change water) with a powerhead running to remove any debris.

If I don't have anything in QT my tank is on a shelf in the garage. For fish & inverts I run a HOB bio-wheel filter. I keep the bio-wheel in my sump when I am not using the QT. For corals I just use the HOB without the bio-wheel for flow. The whole thing can be bleached to kill germs. After bleaching I rinse it well and then follow up with dechlorinator.

A lot pf people make a mistake of getting inexpensive damsels as starter fish, often at the advice of the LFS. IME damsels are not good reef citizens and the $5 fish ends being a terror in your tank.

Even in this day and age some LFS recommend cycling tanks with live fish. This is cruel and entirely unnecessary. You can bump start the cycle by dropping a a raw cocktail shrimp in the tank for a couple days. You don't need any live critter to keep a cycle going. You can just drop a pinch of flake food in the tank once a week or so.

Soft corals like mushrooms, button polyps, zoas, and leathers would be fine under normal fluorescent lights for a couple of weeks and I QT SPS for this long with a PC light.

**Skurvey Dog** · 07-07-2009, 11:45 PM

If one follows a reefer's basic guidelines in purchasing corals, fish and other life forms to obtain healthy specimens, followed up by QT, we lessen the likelihood of introducing or setting ourselves up for problems. It is so easy to place a fish in a system, but can be a challenge to remove one. Placing corals in a system w/o proper QT also can introduce bacterial and fungal diseases, planaria, aiptasia and many other organisms into a system. There is no comparison........ a few weeks QT Vs $$$$$, time, heartache and frustration all because one got impatient.

**rayme07** · 07-07-2009, 11:51 PM

Carmie, why do you need to QT macros for?

**CarmieJo** · 07-08-2009, 12:38 AM

I think if they came from a tank that had parasites or disease it would be easy to introduce them into your own tank. IMO, it isn't that hard to put them in a tank with a little circulation and wait a couple of weeks to add them to the DT. I just don't like to take chances.

**Iron E** · 07-08-2009, 12:40 AM

Macro seems like a great host to import any number of baddies.

**rayme07** · 07-08-2009, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by CarmieJo

I think if they came from a tank that had parasites or disease it would be easy to introduce them into your own tank. IMO, it isn't that hard to put them in a tank with a little circulation and wait a couple of weeks to add them to the DT. I just don't like to take chances.

I didn't think of that. Thanks Carmie

**mcastfalk** · 07-10-2009, 07:13 AM

Carmie Jo:

Unfortunately, I did purchase a damsel. I'll just have to deal with it. It is only one. He's in the QT now. Put him in last night. However, prior to putting him in I did add live rock to the QT from the display tank. This was a week ago. These are small pieces, "rubble rock" as the FS calls it. I also added a couple of gallons of the DT water to "jump start" the QT at the same time. So the tank has been up for a week.

I wanted to purchase the Star Polyps next week, I will be in the area of the pet store I purchase from. You are saying that the standard bulbs are ok for them in the QT. Will I be able to add them in to the QT with the damsel fish? Will this be ok?

Water parameters are all currently normal. Nitrites, Nitrates & Ammonia at zero.

Michael