Quarantine Tank Lighting - 02/04/06
Kind crew,
<<Evening>>
I'm in the process of setting up a new 10 gal quarantine tank (My last tank has become my son's 20 gal freshwater setup).  My question pertains to what type of lighting I should purchase.
<<Depends on what you plan to quarantine.  A small NO fluorescent will do fine for fish...if you wish to quarantine corals I would consider a 65w 10,000K PC.>>
My tank is a 75 gal with 2-96 watt compact fluorescent bulbs.  My plan is to slowly add some corals over the next year and I'm thinking I might be better off buying a lower watt compact instead of the standard fluorescent.
<<?...are we still talking about the QT?>>
Also I've been reading Anthony's "Book of Coral Propagation", great book-highly recommended, and came up with some possible coral additions for my lighting and was hoping for a comment and possible additions.  They are: Candy cane coral and some yellow polyps, possible a elegance coral, and maybe some button polyps. Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks, Dave
<<Well Dave, the Elegance Cora is better left to experienced aquarists and specie specific tanks in my opinion.  You might want to consider one of the 'brain' corals (perhaps Trachyphyllia or Lobophyllia) or maybe one of the Faviids, though some of the latter are quite aggressive and need be placed with extreme care.  EricR>>

QT false anemone
Hi, How are all of you? 
<<Well, I can only speak for myself, but I am well... thanks for asking.>>
This is something that confuse me about quarantine... I know for sure the imperious necessity of quarantine all the living things I'm going to put in the main tank, but... my QT does not have light, what if I'm buying a false anemone?
 <<Do you mean a Corallimorph? Quarantine is still useful but not 'so' necessary with this animal, you might also have to add some lighting to your quarantine system.>>
 how to keep it in QT without light? 
<<It probably wouldn't do very well without some lighting.>> 
she (or he or it, :) ) needs light to survive... 
<<That's right.>> 
I'm afraid because the lack of light I'm going to put over the anemone will mean more stress and the quarantine will be a source of stress instead a source of acclimation and observation... 
<<So buy some lamps for the quarantine tank.>>
Thanks, Carlos
<<Cheers, J -- >>

QT/lighting for Tridacnid
good evening crew: I have my eye on a Tridacnid clam that my LFS has had for over a month, so I'm guessing it's healthy (I'll ask some questions, check the response to shadow).
I have a QT:  30 gal, partitioned into a 20gal side that I have equipped with a hang-on filter and mediocre skimmer, and a 10 gal side with a hang-on filter/no skimmer.  I don't want to sink a fortune into lighting, but I don't want to compromise the clam, either.  I have a 36" hood with 2 25w NO aquarium lights that I could use, or I was considering building a fixture and mounting some compact fluorescents (the kind meant for replacing normal incandescent bulbs, not PC's) each of about 20W.  I probably don't have much choice in the color temperature, but if this option were viable, and I could choose from "cool" or "warm", which is best?  the tank is about 16" deep.
what would you recommend?
thanks!
Ken Baker

QT tank! (6/30/03)
I just bought a 10 gallon tank for quarantine.  I bought the little kit things they at the store.  Will the little whisper 5-15 gallons filter work for my quarantine?  Or will I have to buy something better?  
<This should be fine, just do frequent partial water changes almost every day.  Which you should be doing anyway in a QT.>
I don't have much money to be going out and buying a super powerful filter like the one I have for my main tank which is 55 gallons.  Do I have to use the carbon with the filter?
<Yes, unless you put the pad in a sump or somewhere it can get lots of bacteria before adding fish.  Although if you use any medications the filter is going to be useless since the carbon takes out the medication and most medications will kill the bacteria which leads you to daily water changes if using a med.>
Since all I am doing is using it to treat the fish with copper.  I have a marine system.  As far as quarantine goes do I have to do weekly water changes?  <See above.>  I know that I have to siphon out the food that wasn't ate since its a real small.
<It will also help siphon out many parasites.>
How long would you recommend being able to put fish in there?  I'm going to use the water from my main tank when I do a water change to fill most of the quarantine tank up.
<If you use that water from the main tank, right away.>
Then use a new batch of water with a five gallon bucket.<From the main tank?>  
One more question and I'll be done the lights that I have for my 10 gallon tank aren't fluorescent they are the little lights that you screw in and they are similar to the ones in your house (incandescent) are those fine to use, and should I run the lights as long as I run the lights with my main tank.
<Yes these are fine.  And yes, run the same light cycle as the main tank.>  
Thank you for your time.  I've read so much of the information you guys have on your website  I'm truly glad that that there is information like that available to people like myself.  I'm a firm believer in the whole quarantine tank its makes so much sense.  Spending that little extra money is well worth it if something goes bad in my main tank and I end up losing all my fish.  
<Good thing you listen to us and don't have to learn the hard way like me and so many others!  Cody>