Qt water woes

[skijumpersc]

I set up a qt a week ago. It’s 10g with an hob filter. I used 5 gallons from my display tank and 5 gallons of new water to fill it. In the Hob I’m running the carbon it cane with as well as filter floss that had been in my display tank for a week.

I’ve been out of town for a week and I was hoping to get fish tomorrow. I tested it when I got home and I found both my ammonia and nitrite were .25ppm and nitrate was about 10. There has been nothing in the tank. I’m confused about how these levels are where they are.

How can I fix this so I can start adding fish as soon as possible?

 

[pluikens]

I believe your tank would be cycling as you likely brought over detritus in your filter floss. You can either wait to see it eventually come down or add some beneficial bacteria for it to cycle quicker. I dose ammonium chloride to 2.00 ppm and make sure my tank can process it down to undetectable levels within 24 hours to consider my tank fish ready.

 

[Aaron-A2]

I find that week is not usually enough for an instant cycle. I've used sponge filters over the last year that have sat in my sump for longer, yet the cycle wasn't instant.

I'd personally just say wait it out, but you can always use those bottled beneficial bacteria to help jump start it.

 

[skijumpersc]

I’m planning on doing one fish at a time. I’ve seen people add fish to help the cycling process, is this something i can do in the quarantine? My first will either be an ocellaris or a tailspot or pictus blennie

 

[lion king]

Add something in the hob for bacteria to grow on, like sachem matrix and add some biospira or your choice of bottled bacteria. It's not an instant cycle, never is, and this is the #1 way people kill their fish in qt.

 

[Rich Cooper]

I think you just have to wait it out for it to do a mini cycle. You can try a cycling bacteria but I would test it regularly to monitor the ammonia and nitrite lvls

 

[skijumpersc]

My QT tank has still been holding .25 nitrite steady. Beginning of July I started dosing seed to get the beneficial bacteria up and I’ve done a couple 2 gallon water changes with water from my established tank. Nothing seems to make a dent in the nitrite and it seems like I should have been going down by now. Last night I decided to do a 90% change. I did 5 gallons of new mixed saltwater and 4 from my other tank. I’m really hoping when I get home from work and test it my nitrites will be 0. If that is the case do i have to worry about them creeping up again or can I add a fish?

 

[Billdogg]

I don't worry about biological filtration in my QT. Instead, I just do frequent water changes using water from my frag tank and then topping of the FT with freshly made water. That results in a win-win for me. The FT gets lots of little wc's, the QT stays at exactly the same parameters as my FT (and DT, for that matter) so that when the QT is over, I can just catch the fish and put them right in their new home, no acclimation needed.

 

[skijumpersc]

I added a Molly Miller Blenny a couple days ago. I've got the Seachem badge and my ammonia is constantly creeping up. I know my bio filter isn't going strong in there, but I thought with only one fish and consistent water changes I could keep up on it. Its still below .05 ppm, but it seems to be getting higher. I did 25% water changes the last two days with fresh mixed water. After the first change the color got closer to 0, after the second change yesterday it didn't, and today its still going up. I don't want to have to do water changes every day to keep up on this, what can I do? I may need to just bail him out of QT and put him into the DT and roll the dice. Then I could work on building up my bio filter without worrying about keeping a fish alive. I don't know why this QT process is a pain in the butt for me.

 

[Mr.Hyde]

I have had great success with using seachem’s Prime. When I set up a hospital or QT tank, I fill it with fresh saltwater and a double-dose of “Prime” and it will stop any and all ammonia problems from the start. Then do water changes as you see fit. You can than take your time on setting up what ever bacteria filter if you want but, ”Prime” will allow you to put fish in right away. You will need an air stone and sponge filter to keep oxygen in the tank at all times. You can even use it in conjunction with medications and it will not harm or stress your fish. PLEASE BE WARNED! This method is NOT to be used with coral or invertebrates quarantining.

 

[skijumpersc]

I have had great success with using seachem’s Prime. When I set up a hospital or QT tank, I fill it with fresh saltwater and a double-dose of “Prime” and it will stop any and all ammonia problems from the start. Then do water changes as you see fit. You can than take your time on setting up what ever bacteria filter if you want but, ”Prime” will allow you to put fish in right away. You will need an air stone and sponge filter to keep oxygen in the tank at all times. You can even use it in conjunction with medications and it will not harm or stress your fish. PLEASE BE WARNED! This method is NOT to be used with coral or invertebrates quarantining.

I forgot to mention I have been dosing prime, but it’s still creeping up

 

[Mr.Hyde]

I forgot to mention I have been dosing prime, but it’s still creeping up

Well, if that is the case you might need to up your prime dose and remove anything that could cause the ammonia to rise in the tank, I.E. filter floss, uncycled live-rock. I personally would do a fifty percent fresh saltwater change. I would also check your test kit too, it could be out-of-date. Other than that the “prime” should do the trick! I saw where you used tank water to fill your QT, if there is no flow (or not enough flow to move the water column) a tank of used saltwater will produce ammonia at a rapid rate do to micro fauna dying off, lipids, proteins and amino acids decaying in the water column. Also the tank will produce unwanted compounds like hydrogen sulfide.

 

[skijumpersc]

Well, if that is the case you might need to up your prime dose and remove anything that could cause the ammonia to rise in the tank, I.E. filter floss, uncycled live-rock. I personally would do a fifty percent fresh saltwater change. I would also check your test kit too, it could be out-of-date. Other than that the “prime” should do the trick! I saw where you used tank water to fill your QT, if there is no flow (or not enough flow to move the water column) a tank of used saltwater will produce ammonia at a rapid rate do to micro fauna dying off, lipids, proteins and amino acids decaying in the water column. Also the tank will produce unwanted compounds like hydrogen sulfide.

How much prime would you add? The tank is 10g. Can you overdose on Prime? I'm using a brand new seachem ammonia alert badge so I think its accurate. I've got flow from a powerhead and the HOB filter which I hope would be adequate for a tank this size

 

[cracker]

consider removing the goby. & ghost feeding the tank ( a little pinch of frozen maybe ) Also keep up with the bacteria dosing. You will get a rise in AM but it will also feed the bacteria. Then Ya gotta wait for it to cycle properly. Please get the fish outta the tank. it's hard on the little guy.

 

[Mr.Hyde]

How much prime would you add? The tank is 10g. Can you overdose on Prime? I'm using a brand new seachem ammonia alert badge so I think its accurate. I've got flow from a powerhead and the HOB filter which I hope would be adequate for a tank this size

I would start with three caps fulls of the small bottle or two cap fulls of the big bottle. I would also clean all the mechanical equipment before placing in th QT. Just remember an air stone is going to be your best friend when setting a QT or Hospital tank.

 

[Mr.Hyde]

I would start with three caps fulls of the small bottle or two cap fulls of the big bottle. I would also clean all the mechanical equipment before placing in th QT.

It is almost impossible to overdose, smell is the best indication. If you start to smell a pungent but, sweet smell that means you have reached “Primes” saturation and anything past that “your just wasting your prime.” When ever using a lot of prime adding an oxygen source is a must! (Powerheads, air stones are a very important pieces of equipment to have)

 

[skijumpersc]

I moved the blenny to the DT last week and so far so good. I added a sponge and some bio rings to the filter and I've been dosing aquavitrio seed for the last 5 days following their instructions to for seeding a new tank. I havent done any water changes since I took out the fish since I wanted to leave the ammonia. I figure once it begins to decrease I would know that I've got enough bacteria to handle it. Is this a good approach or would i be better of doing a water change?