"Emergency Back-Up Tank" Question

[TheBigDrewsky]

I have been reading the various threads here over the past few days - the accidental baby wipes, the mysterious death of a clown fish, another tank having a meltdown, etc....

This makes a newbie like me a bit concerned - and of course, filled with questions...

As I am sure you all know, we are in the beginning stages of getting our stuff together for our new 90g RR tank. After reading all of these comments, people suggest transfering fish/corals to some sort of different tank during cases of emergencies, etc.

So... (long thoughtful pause)... Should we also consider investing in a smaller tank/set up that can be used as a back up? If so, is this tank something that we need to run independently of our bigger tank? I mean, logic tells me that of course it would needs it own filtration and aeration that is separate from the larger tank. Am I on the right track here? And if so, I guess we could make it a nano tank with some corals and a fish or two but just have it available in case of an emergency, eh?

Any thoughts would be welcomed.

(Getting out the pen and paper and getting ready to add more items to our "HAVE TO HAVE" list....)

Andrew

 

[reefsmurf]

Answer is yes. It can double as a quarantine tank and you can use it to keep backups of your favorite corals or as a frag tank as well.

 

[stingythingy45]

Yes,it would be a good idea to have some sort of contingency plan in place incase the SHTF.I wouldn't keep anything in it,like making it a nano tank.If you want you could set it up and have it all cycled and ready.Or just keep it hidden away for use if need be.I keep a 20L cycled and ready in my basement.

 

[jbishop]

Answer is yes. It can double as a quarantine tank and you can use it to keep backups of your favorite corals or as a frag tank as well.

+1 its a great thing to have. Should be 100% independent of main tank. I don't have one and could have used one several times. Esp to quarantine.

 

[NateHanson]

It's definitely a good idea, but it can be as simple as having an empty rubbermaid storage tote in the basement, and always keeping 30g of aerated saltwater prepared for your next water change. Don't keep corals or inverts in your hospital tank, because if you need to lower salinity to treat a fish or something you'll kill inverts.

Nate

 

[Jason72]

+2

I have a 10gal that I use as a QT tank - if I had it to do over again I'd have a 20L... just throw a couple of PVC pieces in there, get a simple Wal-Mart filter, and let 'er rip.

The other thing I'd recommend you have is keep enough plastic bins (just the big rubbermaid with a lid) to hold ALL your crap from your tank (critters, rock, sand, and water) in case, God forbid, you have some sort of tank emergency (I shudder just thinking about it).

I have a 90 as my tank as well, and have 5 30 gallon bins just sitting there taking up space - but they're a nice put-your-mind-at-ease insurance policy that if something happens, you won't kill off your rock and animals trying to figure out where to put things....

Hope that helps
Jason

 

[NateHanson]

The other thing I'd recommend you have is keep enough plastic bins (just the big rubbermaid with a lid) to hold ALL your crap from your tank (critters, rock, sand, and water) in case, God forbid, you have some sort of tank emergency (I shudder just thinking about it).

I'd add to that - you should have enough water to fill all those tanks, at least enough to cover all your animals. Otherwise, if something goes so wrong in your tank that you have to get everything out, having a bunch of rubbermaid tubs, but no water to fill them until 48 hours from now when your RODI and salt-mixing is done, then you're going to be equally screwed.

 

[Jennifer]

I agree with all that have posted.

Sponge filters or bio-wheels work great for small tanks in a hurry.
I have a few bio-wheels in my sump cycled and ready to go. I always have 1 or 2 in there at any given time.

 

[TankPrema]

Back Up/quarantine Tank

I am new to this and this is my first posting...so HELLO!! I do have a small 19 gallon salt water tank all set up and running that I am going to use as my back up. I don't want to keep it running. Can I drain it and store it in the basement and then when needed just add new water? Do I keep the filter and everything in place? I am going to take the aragonite out and keep it bare, maybe with some pvc.

Thanks...I am sure you all will be hearing alot more from me!!!

 

[stevenp]

Can I drain it and store it in the basement and then when needed just add new water?

That's what I do. I have enough stuff laying around to assemble an emergency tank if need be, but I don't keep one running. Like Nate said above, having water on hand is key.

 

[JayM]

I keep a 70g rubbermade stock tank and ~50 gallons of mixed salt water all the time.....

 

[jbishop]

I have a 29 gal and supplies to set it up ready to go.

 

[chew*]

I used to have a 10g with a emperor 280 running 24/7 for fish quarantine, tank was empty save for a piece of PVC, bare bottom, It had copper in it 24/7.

I still have a 12g tank that serves as a frag/qt tank for corals, it's been running for over a year now and has proven to handle a very heavy load with some modifications and a quality skimmer.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

Not trying to hijack but got me thinking. Is the thought that cycling is not important for a temporary QT or backup tank? I'm wondering if the need to 'have it ready' means that I'll need to have a small, empty, independent tank setup and running a small filter/heater at all times? or just having supplies ready to throw something together if needed?

 

[NateHanson]

If your tank has no rock or sand in it, it doesn't really need to cycle, as there is no die off. That q-tank won't have the biological filtering capacity of an established tank, so you may need to maintain water quality by doing daily water changes. Yet another reason to always have plenty of water on hand.

For filtration, a simple HOB sponge filter (like an AquaClear) works fine, and just keep a piece of the sponge in your display tank sump. That way it will be loaded with bacteria that can help filter your q-tank as soon as you stick that sponge in your filter.

 

[stevenp]

Also a good idea to have some Amquel or Prime on hand in case ammonia rises, and an ammonia badge to monitor levels.

 

[stingythingy45]

Not trying to hijack but got me thinking. Is the thought that cycling is not important for a temporary QT or backup tank? I'm wondering if the need to 'have it ready' means that I'll need to have a small, empty, independent tank setup and running a small filter/heater at all times? or just having supplies ready to throw something together if needed?

This really all depends if you plan on stocking your display with more fish.
If I reach the amount of fish that I want then I'd just break the tank down and store it for later.If I was planning on getting more fish over the next few months I would cycle the QT by using filter media or a cup of sand from the display along with a good hardy fish that I want in the display.
It's not entirely impossible to cycle a tank with fish in it.The first time I had to set up a hospital tank I cycled it with the fish in there.Good advice also mentioned here was Amquel and an ammonia badge.You would also be doing massive water changes just about every 3 days.But it can be done.......

*Also I only use my QT to observe fish not treat them.
I have a seperate tank for treating and leave my QT fallow if something breaks out.

 

[Matt L.]

Not trying to hijack but got me thinking. Is the thought that cycling is not important for a temporary QT or backup tank? I'm wondering if the need to 'have it ready' means that I'll need to have a small, empty, independent tank setup and running a small filter/heater at all times? or just having supplies ready to throw something together if needed?

I have a slightly different approach to many others expressed here.

In short, I have a completely isolated second system running continuously. My main display tank is a 125gal, and I use an old 40L as my second system. The 4ft affords housing relativley large fish. This system has over 40lb. of live rock and a shallow sand bed. It has a sump and a protein skimmer and the option of using UV. I also have the option of using MHs or standard NO fluorescent strip lights depending on the inhabitants. There is a second calcium reactor down there, but I learned that dosing works better.

I would one day like to have two backup systems (one for invertebrates and one for fish), but for the time being, I have to use the same tank for both purposes, although never at the same time (I must alternate cycles).

My prefered means of quarantining incoming fish is through hyposalinity. The notion that one cannot take live rock and live sand through hyposalinity is completely false (you will lose your coraline but it will come back). As long as you adjust the salinity slowly (which you should do for the health of fish), live rock and live sand makes excellent biological filtration under hyposaline conditions. The only catch is that no invertebrates can be present in the system, although I did hyposalinity for 3 months and found a hermit crab living in there afterwards. You will get lots of cyanobacteria too.

My prefered means of quarantining incoming invertebrates is through isolation. I simply switch over to the MH lighting and start monitoring calcium and alkalinity levels. No fish can be present. I rearrange the live rock so I can install my coral racks.

I believe that many quarantine deaths are from using temporary setups that don't have the proper biological filtration. I used to use the Rubbermaid bucket method with a canister filter, but I had poor success. Fish are at their most vulnerable when they arrive at your system from transport, and even brief ammonia/nitrite spikes can be devastating. I don't believe it takes much to keep a tank running if you are actively adding to your system. I do understand that if you never plan to add another frag, it makes less sense. But your temporary system requires almost no light and the temperature can be cranked way down to room temperature when it's not in use. All you need to do is keep the water in the tank moving with a small powerhead. The bacteria will remain alive and dormant and ready to kick in when you add a new occupant.

Matt