Go ahead and use sand in QT

[Humblefish]

I've never liked the bare bottom QT look, and have noticed how some fish seem uncomfortable in that environment. Especially sand burrowing wrasses, gobies and other fish who utilize sand as part of their daily routine. I've also seen tangs, angels, etc. fight their reflection on the bottom glass.

So, I decided to experiment with some sand in one of my 40 gallon QTs (pic below). I used this 10 lb bag of aragonite, just enough to cover the bottom: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...el-substrate/caribsea-aragonite-aquarium-sand

I chose aragonite because it is coarse, and thus unlikely to stick to a fish's mucous coat or inside the gills. This is a concern because parasite tomonts can encyst to sand, and you don't want to transfer any of those into your DT or a holding tank. I tested the copper level daily (for absorption) using the Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter (HI702). To my surprise, 10 lbs of aragonite only absorbed ~ 0.20 ppm worth of chelated copper (Copper Power). That is easily manageable so long as you test your copper level on a regular basis!

The QT looks better, the fish seem calmer/more comfortable... especially the Yellow Coris Wrasse and Diamond Goby in the tank. So, go ahead and use sand in QT!

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[Humblefish]

^^ The pile of sand on the left is from the Diamond Goby.

 

[ecam]

that is awesome news @Humblefish.... i guess the question becomes... how long can you keep running this setup.. u've mentioned before not to keep a QT running for longer because of bacteria buildup that destroys the medicine...
as sand can get expensive if we are chucking a 1/4 of a bag every qt......... the addition of sand would make this stay up longer.. what is the time span you suggest?

 

[Humblefish]

that is awesome news @Humblefish.... i guess the question becomes... how long can you keep running this setup.. u've mentioned before not to keep a QT running for longer because of bacteria buildup that destroys the medicine...
as sand can get expensive if we are chucking a 1/4 of a bag every qt......... the addition of sand would make this stay up longer.. what is the time span you suggest?

Probably 2-3 months before degradation of Chloroquine and other medications becomes an issue. That 10 lb bag cost me less than $5, but you could always remove the sand and clean it before resetting the QT back up. (Just put it in a bucket and flush it using tap water.)

I am in the process of adding sand to the rest of my QTs because the difference in fish behavior (calmer) I am noticing is remarkable.

 

[ecam]

wow.. i dont think my petco has anything under 15 dollars LOL but will check

 

[Humblefish]

wow.. i dont think my petco has anything under 15 dollars LOL but will check

You can order online here: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petco...el-substrate/caribsea-aragonite-aquarium-sand

Either have it delivered or held at the store for pickup. $4.89 for 10lbs of aragonite, can't beat that!

 

[ecam]

already ordered

 

[Jeremy Brito]

would you mind discussing you QT process, a lot of us "TALK" about QT and im sure we all recommend it to each other but then again a lot of us don't. I think one of the issues would be those of us with limited space don't have the room to set up QT tank while others are just to excited to put the new fish or coral into the tank. what ever the case there is a few posts discussing QT most just talk about doing it or not but not a lot atleast recently about the process and with picture lol because we love pictures and lol I can tell you looking at the pictures of your QT has made me start thinking of how I can convince the wife to let me set up a small temporary tank some where in my house.

 

[Humblefish]

would you mind discussing you QT process, a lot of us "TALK" about QT and im sure we all recommend it to each other but then again a lot of us don't. I think one of the issues would be those of us with limited space don't have the room to set up QT tank while others are just to excited to put the new fish or coral into the tank. what ever the case there is a few posts discussing QT most just talk about doing it or not but not a lot atleast recently about the process and with picture lol because we love pictures and lol I can tell you looking at the pictures of your QT has made me start thinking of how I can convince the wife to let me set up a small temporary tank some where in my house.

I copy & pasted my latest QT protocols into this thread: How to Quarantine

 

[Jeremy Brito]

I copy & pasted my latest QT protocols into this thread: How to Quarantine

Awesome I was it already on the clubs forums this new layout confuses the heck out of me