QT Questions

[kittenbritches]

Cross-posting from my build thread to get extra eyes and feedback.

I'm getting my QT tank set up today. It's just a little 10g that my son used about 10 years ago. I just sanitized the tank and scraped hard water deposits. I'm thinking of running it like a baby FOWLR and keeping it running for the foreseeable future. I know that most QT tanks are barren, save some PVC, but is there any harm in adding a piece of CaribSea Life Rock that didn't make it into my display tank? My thinking is for long-term stability/ammonia control since it won't be a setup/teardown situation. I've read about some setups where there is a single fish in the QT tank that gets added to the DT when a new fish goes into QT, and then the resident QT fish goes back into the QT when the new fish gets added to the DT. Good idea? Bad? Is it stressful for the resident fish? I'd assume there also isn't any risk of fish disease living in the rock, right?

 

[brandon429]

The rock indeed can hold a disease component in the above plan.


recommend change this way: use surfaces that don’t readily absorb expected meds like rocks can do, or house disease components deep in crevices

on this tank have a larger than normal hang on back filter with bioballs or siporax media, not carbon or live rock in the system.

you can clean this setup and recycle it between fish easily.

dose with common bottle bac for cycling, not tank cleaning, and add in one pinch of ground up fish food. Let this all stew for two weeks, change water for new, the system is cycled.

put in the display what you will, the filter surface area does the work for fish in holding and observation.


when you upgrade from just observation use to med use, recent posts in the fish disease forum I can relay to you recommend the seachem ammonia badge to monitor free ammonia in this same setup above, change water to guide it down, don’t add ammonia reducers mixed with meds.

they said most meds aren’t harming your biofilter above, by using plastics and ceramics as the surface area the effect on meds is mitigated. Keep the up front area clean and free from food deposits and it will run, here’s an exact case study:

 

[brandon429]

Stalled Cycle?

20 gallon QT tank set up 30 days ago. I do not have a DT set up yet, just trying to get a jump on fish to add to my tank and make sure they're healthy and pest free right from the get go. Like I said tank was set up 30 days ago. Sponge filter and HOB filter running sponge and ceramic. Used...

www.reef2reef.com

that post is showing all dynamics at work in a quarantine. We used it to prove reef tank cycles don’t stick, only test accuracy ranges…but in your approach it shows what to expect from a given volume, filter, two clowns and feed arrangement in a quarantine.

Once cycled, a cycle does not undo by starvation. it doesnt matter if you remove fish and feeding from the setup above in between occupants, the cycle will hold unless meds kill it or direct cleaning and drying. what keeps a set in cycle in place is water, remaining wet, it has nothing to do with what we add or withhold regarding feed.