Cycling my QT Tank

[Tank2379]

What is the fastest why to cycle your QT tank?

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

Are you going to put sick fish in it? If you are, Dont cycle it as meds kill the bacteria. If its as a observation tank take some gravel/sand from the main tank.

 

[Tank2379]

Well one of my Fish got Ick and it went away but I want to take all the fish out to make sure the Ick is gone from my system so I would say a 6 week period without Fish in my system should take care of any Ick that fell off the Fish that got it... But I am not going to treat it just weekly water changes til they get hearty and healthy

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

Ok do you have a refractometer? If so just take a handful of sand from the DT and lower the salinity to around 1.010 to 1.013. Lower over a few days, Ich will die out without meds. Your way, the ich could still be alive on the fish.

 

[Tank2379]

np..

 

[roka64]

You want your salinity at 1.009.
You do want a cycled QT otherwise the ich with the ammonia will stress your fish even more. You can use a sponge from your filter or soak a sponge in the tank to get the beneficial bacteria.
You can use sand from your main, but it will kill off the bacteria and be useless once the salinity gets that low.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Yup... agree with roka64. Here's a good article if you don't have it already:

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

 

[roka64]

I did want to correct myself. The critters in the sand will die not the bacteria.

 

[melosu58]

I also agree that you want 1.009 on the hypo. Here is a good article on QT.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com