feeding a fishless tank?

[jimbo78]

i'm about to pull all my fish to treat for ich, do i need to periodically add food to my display over the next 2+ months? should i just let the CUC survive of algae (which there is quite a bit of) or will a need to add some flakes or pellets after awhile? CUC consists of a pencil urchil, 2 emerald crabs 1 pep shrimp, and about 20 snails and 30 or so blue legs

[wooden_reefer]

i'm about to pull all my fish to treat for ich, do i need to periodically add food to my display over the next 2+ months? should i just let the CUC survive of algae (which there is quite a bit of) or will a need to add some flakes or pellets after awhile? CUC consists of a pencil urchil, 2 emerald crabs 1 pep shrimp, and about 20 snails and 30 or so blue legs

Feeding a fishless tank, DT or idle QT, is a concept to make a point across. It works but is not the best way.

There is a far better way to achieve the same without aging the DT water by mock feeding of fish.

You simple cycle an additional medium in a separate container with waste water after you do WC in DT. Mock feeding of fish in this small separate container, basically, or just add pulses of ammonia source.

Generally, I assume that you have a spare little pump to circulate water in a separate container. If you really have the bare minimin in equipment it may be more difficult.

You put the additional cycled medium in the sump, the part with optimal flow, when the time comes to return the fish to the DT. You can even rinse it first with a bit of clean tank water to remove any lingering ammonia if you are concerned. You gradually remove the medium in a few months if necessary.

You can also just portion out a small fraction of the LR from DT and boost the nitrification activity on it in a separate container, then you won't plan to gradually remove it from the DT.

[jimbo78]

Feeding a fishless tank, DT or idle QT, is a concept to make a point across. It works but is not the best way.

There is a far better way to achieve the same without aging the DT water by mock feeding of fish.

You simple cycle an additional medium in a separate container with waste water after you do WC in DT.

Generally, I assume that you have a spare little pump to circulate water in a separate container. If you really have the bare minimin in equipment it may be more difficult.not sure i follow you, i'm worried about the health of live rock/biological filter while the tank is fish-less. if i add no outside food to the display wouldn't i almost be like cooking the LR

[wooden_reefer]

not sure i follow you, i'm worried about the health of live rock/biological filter while the tank is fish-less. if i add no outside food to the display wouldn't i almost be like cooking the LR

Nitrification bacteria die only slowly due to absence of ammonia or nitrite.

An eight-week QT is borderline, possibly. You may lose up to half the nitrification activity in DT after a 8-10 week QT. Besides, don't you have invertebrates in the DT when it is fishless?

When you cycle a medium separately in a separate container, you cultivate nitrification bacteria. You then add the additional cycled medium into the sump, preferably at where the flow is the highest. You can grow very dense bacteria population this way.

We may also just mock feed the DT a few times.

[peasofme]

let them live off algae. but feed your peppermint.

[Frick-n-Frags]

there is probably some ratio of fishload vs idle time where there is a point that a cycle will happen. I would bet, the bigger the fishload, the shorter the safe idle time.

can you rent/buy a couple of green terror starfish or something else that will be easy to feed and easy to remove?

[AquaReeferMan]

A pinch of fish food twice a week will keep your mind as ease.
Thats what Ive always done in the past and never had any issues.

[jimbo78]

thanks for the replies

[stanlalee]

I have a fishless tank with nothing but corals and snails. the snails eat algae and diatoms and I feed the corals kent coral accel or occasionally amino acids. no food. I really dont think you need to do anything for a mere 2 months for ich treatmenr (been there done that too with no feeding).