Quarantine tank questions

CT Reefer · 06-20-2006, 09:43 AM

Today I am receiving a yellow shole tang, my tank is only 1 month old, I have been meaning to setup a Q tank, so last night I painted the sides back and bottom of my old 29gallon that I cleaned out last week, I have some salt water that I mixed yesterday and have a powerhead in with it, question is, shold I take the water out of my existing 125 later for the Q tank and replace it with the new water, also I have had the two bio wheels from the 29g in my sump for the last 2 weeks, but the actual filters that were on the filter itself have still been in the unit, so can I rinse them in the current tanks water and put the system back together, test the water and acclimate the tang and place him in the new Q tank today or should I just chance it and put him in the 125 and place the new water in the Q tank to get it ready fr a couple of weeks?

AdamG · 06-20-2006, 09:54 AM

ooo, a fellow guy from CT, I am in Danbury. do you have a website for your tank, pics etc.

CT Reefer · 06-20-2006, 10:09 AM

Have some but they are 2 weeks old and I have added more rock since then, I will take updated photos later this week.

Loverotties · 06-20-2006, 10:18 AM

I would put the new water in the 125 as a WC,then the old in the 29 with the bio wheels from the sump in the 29 also have the temp right first and waite a day and see check your water parimerters 1st.to see if they are all ok.Have places for fish to hide in the QT tank.Also if you need to use copper slowly bring it up,because your filter isn't mature enough yet and would kill it also.

CT Reefer · 06-20-2006, 10:24 AM

okay I understand waiting, but as they are coming in today I do not have that option, so it's either I put them in the 125 and place the new water in the Q tank to get ready, didn't I read somewhere that adding copper would harm the fish or pollute the tank, unless the I amd using it for a sick fish ?

Kevin1000 · 06-20-2006, 01:48 PM

When Qting fish your bringing home from the LFS it doesn't matter where the water comes from ... its still new water to the fish so the same acclimation issues apply. Use of ST water helps when your transfering a fish from your ST to the QT.

CT Reefer · 06-21-2006, 06:48 AM

Okay I decided to put the new water in the Q tank, I set it up with my old filter with the bio wheels and PVC unless I get tempted to create a BB with LR and aggressive fish since I cannot put any in my current tank, and will wait until the tank is ready for Fish, I put the Tang and the Dragon in my 125 after leaving them for over an hour floating then drip acclimating them, at first the tang looked like he wasn't going to make it, his breathing was very labored, and the Dragon was hiding, so I put food in which neither ate, mysis and brine flakes, so I turned out all the lighting and left them alone, this morning with the lights still off I noticed the tang breathing fine and up and exploring. I will have my girlfriend check on him while I am at work. When I get home what is recommended to get the yellow eye tang and the dragon to eat?

AdamG · 06-21-2006, 07:19 AM

If a fish is not eating. Always try live brine. You can get it in most LFS's I have always had luck with live brine. I usually feed mine a mixture of frozen formula 1, brine, mysis and blood worms. My fish are huge and had them for years. Good luck

Kevin1000 · 06-21-2006, 09:52 AM

Not sure I understand your post ... your original question was about QT .. yet it appears you just purchased a Tang and a Mandarin and put them directly into your one month old show tank?

If the above is true then chances are your going to have some problems ... both the tang and the mandarin will prefer mature tanks.

Most mandarins are pod eaters and a new tank isn't going to have sufficient pod production to keep them going on a sustained basis ...most tangs are algae grazers and a new tank doesn't have sufficient algae to meet there grazing needs.

You might try some live brine shrimp .. some mandarins may eat that but its easier to feed LBS to mandarins in a QT environment than a large tank since the tang is likely to eat all the LBS before the mandarin has a chance. Many tangs will eat Nori.

CT Reefer · 06-21-2006, 01:28 PM

Yes I had already ordered these 2 before I had the QT up, my tank already has a Blue hippo, puffer, snowflake eel, clown fish Anenome cleanup crew, algae, most of what I had for over a year before transferring to bigger tank, my water parameters are fine, with the exception of the latest blooming because I added more LR which my LFS owed me and I was told it had been curing for a month, oh well. thanks for the advice, I have Nori, Brine shrimp not live, I will look for some today, I read an article hear how to feed the mandarin in a large tank, I am going to give it a try tonight with some pellets.

AdamG · 06-21-2006, 01:56 PM

you may also want to get some calerpa to chuck in there. I through in a few clumps every couple of weeks or so. Keeps the tangs happy. They love to graze on it

jenajet · 06-21-2006, 02:04 PM

I buy the brine eggs and hatch them. Takes about a day.

CT Reefer · 06-21-2006, 08:49 PM

I noticed the new tang is eating the algae that is around I put some nori on 2 clips, the blue hippo and the puffer are eating it, but he is swimming around and coming to the front when I go by the tank, but the mandarin is inbetween the rocks, I just soaked some flakes and pellets in selcon and tossed it in but the light is off so I hope he is getting some, I dopeed it in his general area, I will get something tomorrow that I can try and direct feed him