Can't get my QT to cycle

[ksicard]

For whatever reason I can't get my QT to cycle so I dont have to do such frequent water changes. Does cupramine make it not possible to cycle or is there something wrong with my methodology. I tried to cycle my QT twice now the same way I always do by dropping a piece of shrimp from the deli in and letting it decay for 2-3 days before taking it out in order to jump start the ammonia. Any ideas?

its a 20g tank with a heater, air bubbler, and a hang on the back aqueon filter with 2 bags of the bio media in it and a sponge. The tank itself has some PVC in it for areas that the fish can hide in/behind. It is becoming quite an annoyance that this tank wont cycle. I just added 3 anthias to the QT and after 2 days the ammonia is already starting to register.

[julie180]

Get some Instant Ocean Bio-Spire. I used it to cycle my qt and it worked great. In the mean time, water changes to keep ammonia at bay.
And yes, I believe copper based medication will interfere with bio-filteration.

[Azedenkae]

I dunno what Cupramine does exactly, but one possibility is that you may not have enough bio-media. Two bags for a 20g... what type of biomedia is it exactly?

[Deinonych]

Get some Instant Ocean Bio-Spire. I used it to cycle my qt and it worked great. In the mean time, water changes to keep ammonia at bay.

+1

I never cycle my QTs, as they are cleaned and sterilized after a fish completes quarantine. When I get a new fish, I just use new SW and dump a bottle of Bio-Spira in a few hours before the fish arrives. Never have an ammonia problem. I also use Seachem Matrix in a media bag in the HOB filter so the bacteria have a place to colonize.