How to set up a QT?

[logansmomma1228]

I am planning on getting a simple 5G QT tank, I am assuming it needs to be cycled like any other tank, but would I need to keep it running even without fish in it? This might seem like a dumb question, but I want as cheap of a Consumer's Bill as I can manage!

So I guess my question is , what needs to be done to maintain a QT?

Then the hard part is going to be keeping no fish in it; I have MTS already and I don't even have fish in my first tank yet! lol

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

I would suggest what i do...i have a wal mart aqua tech filter rated for 10 or so gallons. I run it on my 38 gal tank all the time along with my other filter. This allows for it to stay seeded with the good bacteria. I then have my QT tank (10 gal wally world special or whatever you have) with nothing in it and keep it in the closet empty and dry. When i decide its time to add another fish then a day or two before is when i break it out and fill it with decholred water and put my seeded wally world filter on there. I leave it on there and when i get the fish i put em in there for a while until i decide its ok to put em in my bigger tank. For sick fish i do the same and put them in there until theyre better. Bare bottom and eveything cuz most of the time theyre only there for a short period of time.

 

[mgamer20o0]

right on. though if the fish gets sick and die its a good idea to bleach it out to kill anything that might be in there. clean it and put it back on the main tank.

 

[logansmomma1228]

clean it and put it back on the main tank.

are you talking about the filter?

EDIT: I realized that yes, you were talking about the filter. Lol I am blonde sometimes

 

[JustOneMore20]

Yep...good advice there. If you QT a sick fish, clean the filter out too. I'd start with fresh filter media and if its a disease, bleach the filter too (then run with some dechlor water for a bit). You don't want to take anything back to the main tank, but you do want to run the QT filter on the main tank until you need the QT.

 

[logansmomma1228]

You know what else I just thought of; I don't know if two filters will fit on the tank I have now. I don't want to try and cut the hood because that will not turn out good. lol. So could I just run the filter media in my tank until I need it?

 

[JustOneMore20]

You could definitely do that.

 

[mgamer20o0]

tank and filter.

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

You could just put another sponge in your filter (what kind of filter is is?) and then when you need to QT put your smaller filter on it and use the extra seeded spong in your filter.

Basically I have a marineland biowheel hob filter that takes the regular carbon inserts, well i dont use carbon so what i did was take a new insert and cut all the blue filter and carbon out leaving just the plastic skeleton. I then got a filter sponge and some bio-ceramic noodles in a bag and made a faux aquaclear out of it. I put a sponge that fits in my QT wally world special hob filter so it stays seeded and then when its time to QT i just hook up the QT filter and put the seeded sponge in there.

 

[logansmomma1228]

I have an Aquatech 5-15 "wally world special" Lol I like that term. I plan on getting a bigger filter for my tank though, one that goes up to 30G, and then using the Aquatech on my QT. So that should work out pretty good since the former is currently being established as we speak.

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

Perfect, that'll work just fine