cycling and stocking my new five gallon

[maxwellag]

I just got a fluval chi for my room before I left for vacation. I am getting home today so I will start posting parameters and stuff. I wanted to use this tank as a quarantine tank. I know, its small, but my community tank is only ten gallon. I will never have a fish that needs five gallons, so it should be fine. Besides, being quarantined is temporary. Before I left I got it up and running and seeded it with the bio media from my ten community. I also put some fish food in there to add ammonia.
Ok, now about stocking;
I don't want a betta. I already have two. Im ok with a dwarf gourami, some neon or cardinal tetras, lowlight tetras, and other smaller fish that are colorful.
I appreciate the help and advice.

 

[librarygirl]

I could be wrong, but putting fish in a QT defeats the purpose of it being a QT.

 

[rich311k]

If it is a QT tank then it should not get stocked. That is the idea. If you want another display tank, plant it with some shrimps or micro rasboras.

 

[maxwellag]

I didn't mean fully stock! I meant get one or two very small fish that are peaceful just to keep the tank cycled.

 

[librarygirl]

I didn't mean fully stock! I meant get one or two very small fish that are peaceful just to keep the tank cycled.

Again that would defeat the purpose of having a QT. For a QT tank you want a clean tank with nothing in there so that any new fish you put in there for QT don't 1) pick up anything that your current fish may have and 2) don't transfer any potential diseases to your old fish.

If you run an extra filter on your current tank then you can just move it over to your empty QT to cycle it when you need it. Then just keep the QT in a closet or something until you need it.

 

[maxwellag]

I already covered this in my other thread. ;( my tank hood doesn't let me use more than one filter. So I can't put another one on there to use for the qt. And no, it doesn't always defeat the purpose. I have no other way to keep that 5 gal tank cycled. So I have to put a fish in there.

 

[librarygirl]

Oh sorry, didn't realize you had two threads. I read the other one.

So I guess you could put some fish in the QT and then move them to the community tank if you need the 5 gal for a QT right?

A 5 gal does limit your options in terms of what you can have in there though. Sure, most fish will FIT in that tank, but certain types of fish have swimming and growth requirements that would limit them too much in a 5 gal.

 

[jetajockey]

You don't have to keep a QT cycled, just do frequent water changes on it when you have to stock it. A QT/Hospital tank will often get the wrath of different antibiotics anyhow so establishing a biofilter is kind of a moot point. I also would just use a plastic tub or something for QT rather than a nice display tank like that.

If you want to stock it, treat it like a regular tank, not a QT

 

[maxwellag]

You don't have to keep a QT cycled, just do frequent water changes on it when you have to stock it. A QT/Hospital tank will often get the wrath of different antibiotics anyhow so establishing a biofilter is kind of a moot point. I also would just use a plastic tub or something for QT rather than a nice display tank like that.

If you want to stock it, treat it like a regular tank, not a QT

I might do that... but I need a quarantine tank. I think ill put two small fish in so it is stocked as display then if I need it for quarantine I will move the fish to the big community and quarantine whatever fish I need to. I was thinking maybe some danios or tetras or something small but pretty.

 

[maxwellag]

I will use the tank as display until I need to hospitalize or quarantine a fish. I only want one or two fish for it so I can move them fast.

 

[maxwellag]

Anyone there? .......

 

[mfdrookie516]

Bad idea. A qt should never be used as a DT... unless it was a DT then you upgraded to another DT, then it could become a QT. QT's don't need to be cycled. Run your filter on another tank, then when you need it, put it on that tank, add fish. Sounds to me like you just want another DT, and if so, that's fine... but just remember that QT's should be bare bottom with minimal decor. All IMO of course.

 

[maxwellag]

Bad idea. A qt should never be used as a DT... unless it was a DT then you upgraded to another DT, then it could become a QT. QT's don't need to be cycled. Run your filter on another tank, then when you need it, put it on that tank, add fish. Sounds to me like you just want another DT, and if so, that's fine... but just remember that QT's should be bare bottom with minimal decor. All IMO of course.

Once again, I can't run the filter of it on another tank. It is a special thing that sits in the middle and there is no room for another one on my bigger tank. I didn't pay 70$ to have an empty tank. I am going to stock it with something. It is your opinion that it is a bad idea. I paid my own money that took 6 months to earn for this tank. I am not just gonna let it sit empty. I want some fish for it. I will use it as a multipurpose tank. I will put fish in it to keep it cycled, and keep me entertained. If I need or want to have only one or two specific fish in there then I can move the others into the big tank. I might even use it for babies. I might use it to photograph fish. I posted this thread to get advice for cycling and stocking, not what to do with my tank.

 

[librarygirl]

If you can return the Fluval, you could probably use the money to upgrade your 10 gal to a 20 gal with your current filter and a second one and put your current fish in it plus some more, then use the 10 gal as a QT when you need it. Fluval's are nice looking tanks but probably not very practical. Just another option to think about. Stocking a 5 gal is tough. I started with a 5 gal hex just b/c I liked the way it looked but then realized it's too small for most fish and the filter options were limited.

 

[maxwellag]

I can't return it and I just said that I was going to do what I wanted with it. My mom wont let me get a tank any bigger than ten gallon. I already tried. All I am asking for is help with cycling and stocking. I don't want help with what to do with it or whether to return it or not. Sorry if im being a bit rude.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yeah, you are. Looks like you've made your mind up.. good luck with your "qt"

 

[TheJT]

My hood didn't allow for 2 filters either. So I bought a 2nd filter marked off the dimensions with a pencil used a dremmel on it till I cut the hole. You could Aldo use a hand saw

 

[jetajockey]

I just got a fluval chi for my room before I left for vacation. I am getting home today so I will start posting parameters and stuff. I wanted to use this tank as a quarantine tank.

Once again, I can't run the filter of it on another tank. It is a special thing that sits in the middle and there is no room for another one on my bigger tank. I didn't pay 70$ to have an empty tank. I am going to stock it with something. It is your opinion that it is a bad idea. I paid my own money that took 6 months to earn for this tank. I am not just gonna let it sit empty. I want some fish for it. I will use it as a multipurpose tank. I will put fish in it to keep it cycled, and keep me entertained. If I need or want to have only one or two specific fish in there then I can move the others into the big tank. I might even use it for babies. I might use it to photograph fish.

I just want to make sure you remember what your OP was. Do you realize what happens in a quarantine/hospital tank? That's not something that you should be subjecting your brand new Chi to, i know I wouldn't do it with mine, especially when its easy enough to get a $5 container for QT/hospital purposes.

Could you keep fish in a QT? Sure, but you'd end up having to move them anytime you had to put something in for treatment/qt, and if you aren't extremely careful you are going to end up transferring any possible disease or parasite back and forth to your main tank because of it.

Can you use a QT/hospital tank for fry or photography? Sure, but the meds often used in a qt/hospital tank can be pretty harsh, especially on fry, and some of the common ones have methylene blue/malachite green in them which can dye the inside of the tank. It's pretty easy to scrub off of the tank walls but the seals are impossible sometimes.

I posted this thread to get advice for cycling and stocking, not what to do with my tank.

Just because you didn't get the answer you want doesn't mean that the answer is invalid. If you don't want to take the advice, that's your right not to.

If you really want to stock it anyway, your stock list doesnt have to be much different than if it was a display, because you'd end up having to move them during QT/treatment times anyhow.

 

[maxwellag]

Yeah, you are. Looks like you've made your mind up.. good luck with your "qt"

Please don't post rude comments.

 

[maxwellag]

Fine, what the heck, ill just use it as a display. I can use other things as qt anyway.