Qt tank newbie

[scooter24]

I've had tanks in the past and never used a QT tank and now with my new tank im wanting to QT everything to try and "do things right". Well I kinda already possibly screwed up "doing things right" with my new 20g nuvo build. The tank is a little over a year old and i have a healthy fat pacaso clown in it that has been in there for 5 months now. I have not noticed any signs or symptoms of ich, brook or velvet or internal parasite. But since I didnt QT him or treat him with any meds as soon as I QT my new fish and put them in who knows maybe the stress will bring out somthing my pacaso clown has had dormant all this time. (I'm praying he is just healthy and this doesn't happen). But on to my question, I set up a 10g that, hang on filter with filter floss, air stone, and heater. I have some pvc in there also. I added a bottle of one and only and added my new clown, fire fish and watchman goby right away. I was told that adding a bottle of DR. Tims one and only I would then be ok to add the fish right away into QT. Well 4 or 5 days went by with light feeding and I had no ammonia (I tested yesterday) and this morning I have a small amount of ammonia. Should dr. tims bacteria take care of that within the next 24hrs or should I do a major water change and add another bottle of dr tims? I knew I shouldn't have listened to people and I should have just set up a QT tank and let it cycle first but im here now and need some guidance. Thanks everyone.

 

[DC Reefer]

I would do a water change and add some more bacteria and continue to keep an eye on ammonia.

 

[scooter24]

I would do a water change and add some more bacteria and continue to keep an eye on ammonia.

I added another large bottle of dr tims. I still have 0.8ppm ammonia 2 days after adding that bottle. My nitrite did rise from 13 to 19ppb. Does Dr tims remove/eat the harmful nh3 while still getting a ammonia reading? My fish are acting fine, eating. But I still hate having any ammonia. Ill never dose this stuff and add fish right away again, I don't care what the bottle says.

 

[Saltyreef]

Water changes are your best friend for a quarantine tank.
I would recommend a large water change and keeping up with them during your quarantine cycle. Dr tims wont completely negate ammonia. It needs surface area to populate which you dont have enough of.

 

[scooter24]

Water changes are your best friend for a quarantine tank.
I would recommend a large water change and keeping up with them during your quarantine cycle. Dr tims wont completely negate ammonia. It needs surface area to populate which you dont have enough of.

Sounds like a lot of salt over the next month and a half ha.

 

[scooter24]

Water changes are your best friend for a quarantine tank.
I would recommend a large water change and keeping up with them during your quarantine cycle. Dr tims wont completely negate ammonia. It needs surface area to populate which you dont have enough of.think

Water changes are your best friend for a quarantine tank.
I would recommend a large water change and keeping up with them during your quarantine cycle. Dr tims wont completely negate ammonia. It needs surface area to populate which you dont have enough of.

50% water change or more? I've never dealt with ammonia, I mean I had it when cycling my display but never had to mess with it since it was a fishless cycle. Since I now have fish in the 10g QT should I do a 50% or larger water change?

 

[Saltyreef]

50% water change or more? I've never dealt with ammonia, I mean I had it when cycling my display but never had to mess with it since it was a fishless cycle. Since I now have fish in the 10g QT should I do a 50% or larger water change?

I was doing a 50% wc every 3-4 days with only a seeded sponge from my DT.
No issues with ammonia.
I did use a little api quick start before dropping fish in too.
But i think the sponge bacteria was handling all the ammonia

 

[DC Reefer]

I a in the process of getting my QT tank going again. I used media from my sump (been in the sump 3-6 months) in the hang on back filter, bright well bac7 and have two sponge filters with an air pump going in them. Used Dr Tims ammonia to get the cycle started and about 10 days in and still have ammonia. Seems like it takes forever

 

[scooter24]

I a in the process of getting my QT tank going again. I used media from my sump (been in the sump 3-6 months) in the hang on back filter, bright well bac7 and have two sponge filters with an air pump going in them. Used Dr Tims ammonia to get the cycle started and about 10 days in and still have ammonia. Seems like it takes forever

Yeah the cycling process is different for everyone but next time I'll never add dr tims and then add fish right away. It says u can but I don't trust it especially after having nothing but ammonia issues. After this ill just keep a QT tank cycled for whenever I need it.

 

[scooter24]

I was doing a 50% wc every 3-4 days with only a seeded sponge from my DT.
No issues with ammonia.
I did use a little api quick start before dropping fish in too.
But i think the sponge bacteria was handling all the ammonia

I did another major water change last night. I was showing 0.2ppm ammonia and there is 9.66 gallons of water in the QT tank. I removed 8 and im still showing a little ammonia, LIKE WHAT!?! It's crazy idk how that is. When I test my display its 0.

 

[Saltyreef]

What test kit?

 

[scooter24]

What test kit?

Red sea. When i test my display its 0 and the color is yellow yellow. But when I test this qt tank it still has a hint of green. Which would be 0.2ppm I figured that pulling almost all the water out except for 1 gallon would drop ammonia to 0

 

[Saltyreef]

Red sea. When i test my display its 0 and the color is yellow yellow. But when I test this qt tank it still has a hint of green. Which would be 0.2ppm I figured that pulling almost all the water out except for 1 gallon would drop ammonia to 0

Nh3 or nh4?

And it depends what your ammonia was before.
.2ppm isnt horrible.
9 out of 10 gallons changed will only reduce it by 9/10ths so it sounds like you may have had upwards of 2ppm before water change.

 

[scooter24]

Nh3 or nh4?

And it depends what your ammonia was before.
.2ppm isnt horrible.
9 out of 10 gallons changed will only reduce it by 9/10ths so it sounds like you may have had upwards of 2ppm before water change.

I was just going by the chart for red seas test kit. I was at 0.2 before the water change and 0.2 after.

Nh3 or nh4?

And it depends what your ammonia was before.
.2ppm isnt horrible.
9 out of 10 gallons changed will only reduce it by 9/10ths so it sounds like you may have had upwards of 2ppm before water change.

 

[Saltyreef]

I was just going by the chart for red seas test kit. I was at 0.2 before the water change and 0.2 after.

So that test kit reads total ammonia.
And @ .2 thats at the test kits low end.
If you register more than .25ppm total ammonia then thats the point you should start to worry.
.2 before and .2 after the water change tells me there is no free ammonia in your system and its all good.
Those ammonia badges work great if you dont feel like testing for ammonia daily.

I just made a rule of thumb for myself and did a 50% WC every few days to negate the possibility of toxic levels.

As long as you have a good seeded sponge in the HOB filter and havent overstocked your QT tank, you should be fine for atleast 4-5 days.

 

[scooter24]

So that test kit reads total ammonia.
And @ .2 thats at the test kits low end.
If you register more than .25ppm total ammonia then thats the point you should start to worry.
.2 before and .2 after the water change tells me there is no free ammonia in your system and its all good.
Those ammonia badges work great if you dont feel like testing for ammonia daily.

I just made a rule of thumb for myself and did a 50% WC every few days to negate the possibility of toxic levels.

As long as you have a good seeded sponge in the HOB filter and havent overstocked your QT tank, you should be fine for atleast 4-5 days.

I guess I need to.read into how this test kit works to understand it. I have a ammonia badge in the tank It looks yellow but it the right lighting it kinda has a hint of green but maybe its just the light.

 

[Saltyreef]

I guess I need to.read into how this test kit works to understand it. I have a ammonia badge in the tank It looks yellow but it the right lighting it kinda has a hint of green but maybe its just the light.

Youre most likely ok as long as you keep up on 50+% WC every few days and have some sort of biofilter established and arent over stocked.(seeded sponge from DT)