quarantine tank question

[Guest]

So I wrote earlier but no one answered this question. I have my 29 gal. tank and a 10 gal. quarantine tank. My question is this: I am cycling my 29 gal. with 4 platies. Should I put two of those platies in the quarantine tank to cycle that too? when that tank is cycled I would put the platies in the 29 gal., put my gourami in the Q tank..and so on...is this ok? I need some opinions!!! thanks :? :?

 

[fishygurl]

Didnt you have another thread with the same question? Just run the filter for the qt on the main tank then it will be cycled when you need it. Thats what everyone told you before.

 

[Guest]

thanks..but it just seems strange to me. I'll clip the ten gal. filter in the 29 filter and let it run..I was just wanting to have the quarantine tank ready after the other tank cycled but w/e.

 

[fishygurl]

That will make the quarintine tank ready. Because when the bacteria clonize the main tanks filter it will also grow on the qt filter. Leave the filter on the main tank until you need it though, or the bacteria will die with no ammonia source.

 

[Guest]

alright. I will try that. I hope it works I've never used a Q tank before but I thought I had better try it. Thanks

 

[Macrosill]

The cycled bacteria is in the filter media not in the water in the tank. Therefore keep the 10 gal filter in use on the 29 gal tank. When you need to set up the QT tank just fill it up and move the 10 gal filter to it. Instant cycled tank.

Good Luck,
Brian

 

[Kilgore]

One question on the QT tank and maintaining the QT filter in the main tank, which I hope bettagirl7 will also find helpful to have answered. I have read that since the filters only harbor enough bacteria to handle the current bioload, adding new fish will cause small spikes in ammonia/nitrites (or large ones depending on how many fish you add at once).

Doesn't it follow that removing the filter from a main tank to use on a QT tank will cause a corresponding rise in ammonia/nitrites as the remaining filter struggles to catch up and fill in for the missing filter, as well as a die off of bacteria in the QT filter as it deals with the reduced bio load in the QT tank? Perhaps the effects are so minimal that they are not even registered, but it does seem to make sense, IMHO.

 

[fishygurl]

No, because there is also bacteria in the gravel and on any decorations in the tank.

 

[Kilgore]

Well then, I guess that debunks the "only enough bacteria for the load" myth. I never really agreed with that anyway because the system is flexible, particularly in a well-established tank.

 

[hashbaz]

I think you are right on all accounts, Kilgore. Yes, removing one filter will remove some of the "bio-capacity" of the 29g. And yes the effects are too small to register.

I too have thought a lot about the whole nitrogen cycle, and have come to the conclusion that when some bacteria are removed the remaining bacteria will increase in population fast enough to prevent a noticeable ammonia spike.