Question on Starting a QT

[Patrick Cox]

After losing all of my fish to Ich, I am doing it the right way this time, even if it is more work! :) So I have filled my 10G QT with fresh salt water and I have added a sponge and bio balls that have been in my DT, so I am sure they are full of bacteria. Does this mean I have a fully cycled tank that is ready for fish?

Thanks,
Pat

[rayn]

You have the bacteria in the HOB needed for ammonia and nitrite, but I don't consider them "cycled". Remember that the seeded filter needs something to "clean" or the bacteria will die off. You could also use stability by seachem when you add fish to the QT and it helps colonize your bacteria. Remember to keep the lights low and the stress level down. This helps your fish settle in, eat, and fight off any potential disease if their imune system is good. Allows you to observe your fish and look for any warning signs too.

[Jstdv8]

test your bacteria by putting in a source of ammonia like a dinner shrimp for a few days and see if you register a spike in ammonia, if you don't then you are good to go, if you do, then wait for that ammonia to cycle out and once ammonia and nitrites are 0 you should be ok to add livestock.

[lordofthereef]

Even as you add livestock, you need to be doing water testing. Chances are you won't have as much cycled media as you would in your display, so your QT won't be able to handle as much comparatively. On a 10g you aren't in a huge risk being that large water changes are extremely easy an economical. If you run into trouble, just change out the water. FWIW most people don't have a QT running and cycled 24/7.

[Patrick Cox]

Well, after my running my first fish through my QT tank, I have decided that I need a better bacteria base in there before I add another fish. I feel like all I was doing is changing water as I was worried about ammonia spikes. After releasing my clowns to my DT I added a piece of shrimp to my QT and after one day the ammonia spiked to dark green (2.0-4.0) so I believe that tells me there was not much bacteria in my HOB filter. My question is - how long can I expect the cycle to last with only a HOB filter and no LR or LS? I have also tested my Nitrite and it is elevated as well.

Thanks
Pat

[sporto0]

Pat, without keeping some sort of livestock in your QT, you will not be able to keep your nitrifying bacteria alive, most people just do several water changes to keep the ammonia levels low during the quarantine period. Low levels of ammonia & nitrites will not harm the fish, just test water everyday & do water changes accordingly & you will be fine.

[Patrick Cox]

Pat, without keeping some sort of livestock in your QT, you will not be able to keep your nitrifying bacteria alive, most people just do several water changes to keep the ammonia levels low during the quarantine period. Low levels of ammonia & nitrites will not harm the fish, just test water everyday & do water changes accordingly & you will be fine.

Let me follow up on that. Currently my ammonia is very high. Will this sustain the bacteria until the ammonia is gone? Let' say I was cycling a new tank before I added fish. Wouldn't I go through the same procedure? (cycle with dead shrimp and not add fish till cycle is complete?)

Thanks! :thumbsup:
Pat

[sporto0]

simply put, yes the bacteria will colonize to handle the current load put on it, it will convert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates to nitrogen gas, the proverbial water cycle. however once the bio load has been converted, the bacteria needs a constant source of waste or decay to keep it alive. does that make sense to you?

[SneakyPete]

I don't have much experience but one of the books I read said it was a good idea to keep your media in your display tank (or sump) and to have a piece of live rock in your DT or sump that you can move to your QT. My plan is to use a simple sponge filter that I am going to keep in my sump with a live rock and just move both over when I need to QT.

[mess7777]

I have also read you can add some fish food while it's empty to keep it rolling. Again though, a live fish will have more load than the food alone so water changes will be necessary while things catch up. When i was running my hospital tank I used Seachem alpha to keep ammonia non toxic through the spikes. It worked well.

[Patrick Cox]

simply put, yes the bacteria will colonize to handle the current load put on it, it will convert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates to nitrogen gas, the proverbial water cycle. however once the bio load has been converted, the bacteria needs a constant source of waste or decay to keep it alive. does that make sense to you?

Yes it does. I was thinking I would add food or more shrimp to feed the bacteria till I added my fish. Thanks.

[Chris27]

Let me follow up on that. Currently my ammonia is very high. Will this sustain the bacteria until the ammonia is gone? Let' say I was cycling a new tank before I added fish. Wouldn't I go through the same procedure? (cycle with dead shrimp and not add fish till cycle is complete?)

Thanks! :thumbsup:
Pat

Given you already have ammonia in the tank, you don't need an ammonia source. Give your QT a few days / weeks and it'll be ready for the next fish. Just keep checking every few days, once you see the typical ammonia / nitrite / nitrate progression come to an end (Nitrate) the filter is cycled.

[Patrick Cox]

I don't have much experience but one of the books I read said it was a good idea to keep your media in your display tank (or sump) and to have a piece of live rock in your DT or sump that you can move to your QT. My plan is to use a simple sponge filter that I am going to keep in my sump with a live rock and just move both over when I need to QT.

I didn't think it was a good idea to have LR in a QT. Is this correct?

[sporto0]

I didn't think it was a good idea to have LR in a QT. Is this correct?


Pat, as long as you are not medicating the tank, it's fine to put a piece of Live Rock in there to make the fish a little more comfortable, if you were treating for a disease, the rock might act like a sponge & absorb the medication.

[Patrick Cox]

Given you already have ammonia in the tank, you don't need an ammonia source. Give your QT a few days / weeks and it'll be ready for the next fish. Just keep checking every few days, once you see the typical ammonia / nitrite / nitrate progression come to an end (Nitrate) the filter is cycled.

That's what I thought. Thanks. I may also add a piece of LR to help.

[phyber]

Add a damsel to cycle it
:deadhorse:

lol jk

i purchased a group of damsels to keep my QT going. i like my 3 stripe, so he went in the DT...but i accidentally got a Bluefin damsel. it's pretty now, but i didnt know it grows up ugly...so his *** is staying in the QT