Quarantine tank questions.

[Srt4eric]

I've never had a QT set up before and I'm seriously thinking about doing so.
I have a Marineland 5.5 gallon AIO just laying around. Can I use that or do you suggest i go with a 10 gallon?
From what I've seen most QTs just have some pvc in there for the fish to hide in and feel safe. No live rock or substrate.
If there's no live rock or sand does that mean I dont have to cycle the tank?
Do I just mix up a new batch of sw when I'm going to use this tank?
Lots of questions.

 

[svreef]

Yes, that’s basically it. Two key things: a seachem ammonia alert badge and a filter sponge or bio media from your established system. If you get some ammonia, just change water.

I have a 10g QT setup you can have - tank, lid, filter and PVC. I need to remove it to make room for the new tank.

See: http://reef.ee/022-cycle-break-quarantine/

 

[BleepBloopMunchMunch]

I am by no means an expert on this, but I’ve set up various QT tanks, I think it depends what you’re going to do with them in terms of medicating or just observing. The QTs I’ve done that aren’t just observation are usually copper treatment and then some sort of deworming usually using general cure. I have definitely but rock and sand in my QT when I’ve had wrasses and stuff in them, from what I understand the issue with this is that the sand and rock can absorb some of the copper leading to not only reduced copper levels in your treatment tank, but the copper thats leeched into the sand and rock effectively renders those useless for any future reef tank use since they could now leech it back into the water column. However I have never tested this, only read about it, that being said I never reuse any of the rock or sand in QT tanks except for another QT tank.

You definitely do have to cycle the tank though, perhaps especially so because there is no sand or rock to house bacteria. I always just used a hang on back filter with a sponge and some ceramic rings and that seems to be adequate.

I would mix up a new batch and put it in the tank and start cycling it now if you plan on adding fish any time soon, although personally I’ve always just used bacteria in a bottle for all my quarantine purposes and it’s worked fine.

If you’re ever up in San Leandro I’m happy to give you a bunch of sand I used in QT so you don’t have to waste any