cycling QT tank...

[new2betas]

Okay - I am now cycling my 2.5g tank that I got specifically to be a QT tank....once it is done cycling how do I keep it in cycle if there are no fish in it? Do I have to constantly keep putting ammonia in it until it is needed as a QT tank for a fish?

[Purrbox]

To keep it cycled you'll need to keep adding ammonia. Another option is to run the filter on an established aquarium and then just move it to the QT aquarium as needed. Of course if one of the fish that you QT ends up needing to be treated for a disease, then you'd need to sterilize the filter before putting it back on the main aquarium.

[kimo]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

To keep it cycled you'll need to keep adding ammonia. Another option is to run the filter on an established aquarium and then just move it to the QT aquarium as needed. Of course if one of the fish that you QT ends up needing to be treated for a disease, then you'd need to sterilize the filter before putting it back on the main aquarium.

Just add a few ramshorn (any except pond snails) snails or Red CHerry Shrimp (RCS) to the tank. A few flakes of food every few days will be plenty to keep them happy. You won't have to worry about disease spreading to/from the RCS.

[new2betas]

Originally Posted by kimo

Just add a few ramshorn (any except pond snails) snails or Red CHerry Shrimp (RCS) to the tank. A few flakes of food every few days will be plenty to keep them happy. You won't have to worry about disease spreading to/from the RCS.

Do you mean to add these to the tank when it is done cycling? I have been adding straight ammonia for the last couple of days and my nitirites are getting up there as well. I guess I will need to wait until it finishes cycling before adding anything, correct? Once it has finished cycling is there any type of small (very small) fish I could add to the tank so I don't have to keep putting in ammonia all of the time? But, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of it being a QT tank as I would need it in case any of my fish from my 10g needed to be QT? Dis is all bery confusin'....

[SpeedEuphoria]

Originally Posted by new2betas

Dis is all bery confusin'....

I agree, although I guess the best options I've seen in this thread would be.
A:keep some shrimp in the tank to keep it cycled, since fish sickness doesn't effect shrimp or vice versa.
B: put the QT filter on the 10G then move it to the QT when needed, prob just leave the QT tank with minimal water to cover the gravel?


It is very confusing and complicated, like a hassle. It would be nice if others would share how they do it(for us noobs).

[kimo]

"To keep it cycled you'll need to keep adding ammonia. Another option is to run the filter on an established aquarium and then just move it to the QT aquarium as needed. Of course if one of the fish that you QT ends up needing to be treated for a disease, then you'd need to sterilize the filter before putting it back on the main aquarium."

To keep it cycled, just add a few shrimp, snails, or 1 or 2 small fish like Danios or guppies to replace the "ammonia". Use a small air-powered filter (small world makes a good, cheap one that will handle up to 5 gallons) to keep up water circulation. Moving gravel or filters from one tank to another only helps spread disease unless the aquarist cerifies through tesing with a microscope that all parts are free from dormant ICH cysts. Just because a tank looks clean and free from disease does not mean it is. Never swap items from a diseased tank to another. Its just asking for trouble. You might have sterilized everything but I'll bet you forgot to wash your hands. Keep the tank FULL. Bacteria adhere to all parts of the aquarium... keeping the water level low takes away much of the surface area used by the bacteria.


"I agree, although I guess the best options I've seen in this thread would be.
A:keep some shrimp in the tank to keep it cycled, since fish sickness doesn't effect shrimp or vice versa.
B: put the QT filter on the 10G then move it to the QT when needed, prob just leave the QT tank with minimal water to cover the gravel?"

A quaranteen tank and all its supplies is just that. A Q tank and its supplies should be for quaranteening sick, injured fish and plants. ALL parts should be kept seperate and away from your main tanks including nets. You put all that time, effort and money into having a great display tank full of plants, fish, invertebrates only to make that one tiny forgetful mistake and spread disease all over. If you are going to expend all the effort on having a super tank, why not spend a few minutes extra on your Q tank?

Originally Posted by new2betas

Do you mean to add these to the tank when it is done cycling? I have been adding straight ammonia for the last couple of days and my nitirites are getting up there as well. I guess I will need to wait until it finishes cycling before adding anything, correct? Once it has finished cycling is there any type of small (very small) fish I could add to the tank so I don't have to keep putting in ammonia all of the time? But, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of it being a QT tank as I would need it in case any of my fish from my 10g needed to be QT? Dis is all bery confusin'....

If you have been doing a fishless cycle and have active ammonia in the tank.... finish the cycle that way and add everything afterwards. If you are not doing a fishless cycle, add them right away... even a totally uncycled tank. ONLY A FEW SMALL FISH (danios w/the exception of giant danios, guppies <they are much hardier than everyone gives them credit for>, small platies, etc). A dozen RCS would be ok for a new 5g tank.


"It is very confusing and complicated, like a hassle. It would be nice if others would share how they do it(for us noobs)."

Send me a PM and I'll help you through it. The original, easy way.

IMHO: Just say that you hae just completed your new tank. Cycled the "fishless" way... now you learn that you need a quaranteen tank for the new fish you just bought. The tanks and fish were not perfect at the LFS and 'might" have disease. You are unsure.
Do you add them to that new, sparkling and clean tank and risk spreading disease bad enough to waste another 4 months treating (only to have them die), then tearing it down and resetting or ar you going to rig up a spare Q tank that can be anything from a 1g glass, plastic bottle to a 40g plastic clothes storage box? Light bulb goes off in head: the plastic 40g storage box is UNcycled too....! Clean it out, fill it up, add a spare filter or a few airstones and cycle that WITH your fish. In the end any aquarist NEEDS to know how to set up a tank BOTH ways. What the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. Don't be so afraid of a little ammonia or nitrite. Do your water changes when needed and you will not have any problems.

More new tank problems are caused by unknowing people buying unhealthy LFS fish or overstocking to begin with. They end up with runaway ammonia and nitrite spikes caused by lack of knowledge, misinformation and crooked LFS employees.

"Dis is all bery confusin'"... Doesn't have to be... but it only comes from experience. Everyone is going to lose a fish now and then, no matter who they are.

[new2betas]

Thanks kimo for that explanation. It does all make sense, but harder to "just do" if you are new like I am to this. I can see how little mistakes could really mess things up just by being careless. Hopefully, my 2.5g will be cycled soon, though, and I will be able to use it as my QT tank. I guess my main question still remains.....if I go ahead and cycle this QT tank then add some small fish to it so I don't have to keep adding ammonia all the time. I have those fish in there, but then one of my fish from my 10g gets sick and I have to move it to my QT tank. What about the fish that are in my QT tank...they would be in jeopardy of getting sick also. See what I mean...that is what is confusing me. I guess I should just add no fish to the QT tank when it is done cycling....just some shrimp and snails maybe...in case I have to treat a sick fish somewhere down the road.

[kimo]

You're welcome new2bettas! I think the easiest way to sort it all out is to make up a log of everything you do to the tank, no matter how small. There is a free program that you can download to make it alot easier. I use it all the time.

Aqualog v1.1
AquaLog

816 kb download for windows.

You could add just a snail and a few shrimp (10 is a good number for RCS to make sure you get at least a male/female)... or one or two male guppies. (adding a female would fill the tank in on time at all...lol) If a fish in one tank got sick you can always swap them out. But it also depends on what the fish is sick from. Sometimes (say: columnaris) you have to treat the whole tank as a precaution and moving one would just contaminate your Q tank.

Its just one of the reasons why I have been harping (sort of) on the board about why someone shouldn't use gravel, filter material, plants.... whatever and switch them from tank to tank to hasten the cycle. You never know when there could be an outbreak of disease even in the best kept of tanks.

[new2betas]

Thanks so much kimo!

[kimo]

You're welcome!