Which bottle bacteria for setting up a QT

[Jedi1199]

And... Using a sponge filter is also different than using tank water.
I respectfully disagree that "The majority of the living bacteria that was put in the bottle is dead by the time you get it home."

As you wish.

I will not argue this any further.

Good luck with your QT setup OP.

 

[vetteguy53081]

OK... what do I know?

A small fist sized rock has more bacterial colonies that you need to skip-cycle a tank instantly than any of those expensive bottled bac treatments.

Unless the OP is planning to add 20 fish to the QT at once, my method will work just fine.

Agreed
My preference is Microbacter XLM.

 

[polyppal]

why this is one of the many stupid contentious points people in this hobby dig into, idk... but bottled bacteria works to significantly speed up a tanks cycle & maturity.

If it didn't work for someone, its likely because that bottle was likely expired or exposed to conditions that killed the bacteria inside (freeze/heat in shipping). They're personal bad experience doesn't mean its hogwash - thousands of us have used it with great success for years.

 

[doubleshot00]

Why? Take your tank water on water change day and fill the QT tank 1/2 way. Top off with fresh SW and done.

I tried this. Had ammonia spike and killed a tang.

So I would never do that again. Water change with fresh saltwater every 3 days would be best from what i read.

Im about to set up a 10 gallon this weekend. Im gonna fully cycle it with Microbacter start. Gonna use a plate to hold some new sand (so i can remove if necessary) and use two freshly cleaned rocks i had left over from my tank build. Then add some of my biopellets from my filter to the hob. once cycled I’ll transfer the one purple firefish thats left and a few pieces of coral and snails. I really don’t know if this is correct but its what im going to do.

(Wifes tanks fish keep dying from ich and brook)

 

[Jedi1199]

why this is one of the many stupid contentious points people in this hobby dig into, idk... but bottled bacteria works to significantly speed up a tanks cycle & maturity.

If it didn't work for someone, its likely because that bottle was likely expired or exposed to conditions that killed the bacteria inside (freeze/heat in shipping). They're personal bad experience doesn't mean its hogwash - thousands of us have used it with great success for years.

Ok, allow me to clarify here. I never said that bottled bac does not work.

I simply said that it is unnecessary. Assuming of course that the OP has an established tank, which was not specified in the original post, he/she already has what they need to skip-cycle a QT tank without buying a bottled product. A chunk of rock, a squeezed out sponge, or simple tank water WILL do the job.

Tank water may not be the MOST efficient method, but it WILL work. That was my point, nothing more nothing less.

 

[polyppal]

Ok, allow me to clarify here. I never said that bottled bac does not work.

I simply said that it is unnecessary. Assuming of course that the OP has an established tank, which was not specified in the original post, he/she already has what they need to skip-cycle a QT tank without buying a bottled product. A chunk of rock, a squeezed out sponge, or simple tank water WILL do the job.

Tank water may not be the MOST efficient method, but it WILL work. That was my point, nothing more nothing less.

not trying to attack you, sorry if I came off that way. seemed like the thread was starting to head that direction is all...

you're right, its not a requirement to cycle a tank, seeding will absolutely work too. so will just introducing something to decompose and waiting...

 

[Spare time]

It has enough to jumpstart a QT tank.

No. That bacteria doesn't live in the water column. One of Dr. Tim's talks or appearances mentioned this how you simply won't find them suspended in the water column.

 

[Jedi1199]

not trying to attack you, sorry if I came off that way. seemed like the thread was starting to head that direction is all...

you're right, its not a requirement to cycle a tank, seeding will absolutely work too. so will just introducing something to decompose and waiting...

No offense taken.

This hobby already has enough avenues to separate us from our hard earned money. If even a few dollars can be saved by some simple techniques. Why not?

 

[Cho's Reef]

Thanks for all the responses. I am looking to setup the QT in a hurry. I didn't plan ahead with a sponge in sump. I want to avoid rock because of the meds absorbing into.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Thanks for all the responses. I am looking to setup the QT in a hurry. I didn't plan ahead with a sponge in sump. I want to avoid rock because of the meds absorbing into.

So this is a hospital tank rather than a QT. You'll need to plan to add more bacteria with each water change (and possibly between water changes) in order to keep up with the fish waste.
Good luck

 

[Cho's Reef]

So this is a hospital tank rather than a QT. You'll need to plan to add more bacteria with each water change (and possibly between water changes) in order to keep up with the fish waste.
Good luck

It is actually a QT. I have a blenny that I am running through 14 day copper and moving to a sterile tank. Then general cure for flukes.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I quick cycle my qt all the time without issue. I would say use whatever bottled bacteria you can get. They all seem to work. I just think the Fritz and Bio-Spira seem to work the best.

When I have fish in QT, I'm typically feeding them heavy. Often times fish are picky eaters, so I end up offering a lot of food trying to find what they will eat. Or if they are thin, I'm trying to get them to gain weight. Or even feeding medicated foods. So I typically feed heavy all through QT, I will feed as much as a fish will eat. So my QT water will foul quickly if not cycled. So I do frequent (daily) cleanings of my QT tank and try to keep uneaten food and waste vacuumed out as well as possible. This helps keep ammonia from building up when the tank is new. When my QT tank is up and running, like it is right now, I typically syphon out any uneaten food and fish waste every day, or every other day at the longest... I will syphon out a gallon or 2 of water each time I do this. I just replace the gallon or two I take out with fresh saltwater each day. If I'm running copper, then I be sure to dose the copper to the change water each day before adding it... that way the copper level never dips below therapeutic levels and my water quality stays high the entire time.

I've found that with bottled bacteria added on day 1. Followed up by daily or every other day small water changes while syphoning out food/waste, that you can setup a QT tank and put fish in it ASAP and have it cycled in a little over week with little to no worry about ammonia.

during this first week, some meds will make the QT water cloudy, but it will go away in a few days. Just make sure the tank is always well oxygenated.