How do I maintain a cycled tank with no fish?

[siva]

If you have any "animals" in your tank, do not dose with ammo. They create it and will suffer greatly if you're trying to maintain a 4ppm level. Throw food, veggies, raw shrimp in as anything that decays wil feed the cycle. I know squash does since I lost a piece in my planted tank and had a small ammo spike. After I dealt with it, the spike went away.

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Oh what I was trying to say is I am trying to keep my QT alive by keeping the snails it in..not dosing with ammo...since the snails create ammo I thought this might be a good simple way to keep it alive...

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Oh what I was trying to say is I am trying to keep my QT alive by keeping the snails it in..not dosing with ammo...since the snails create ammo I thought this might be a good simple way to keep it alive...

I don't know, but IMO a couple of snails won't create enough waste to keep a cycle going is my point.

What do you have in your QT?

I prefer keeping mine bare, no substrate, decco, plants, etc. Anything that can harbor a parasite or whatever just defeats the purpose of a QT, IMHO.

Not sure how you're set up, so here's my example. When I need a QT set up, I take 1 of my 2 filters from my DT and 20 gal of water, put it all in my spare 20 and I'm instantly cycled. When I'm doing a med treatment and complete it, I tear it all down and clean it all out because I don't want to infect anything I might put in later. Filter goes back to DT and in a week or less, it's reseeded.

Hope this help!

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[siva]

I don't know, but IMO a couple of snails won't create enough waste to keep a cycle going is my point.

What do you have in your QT?

I prefer keeping mine bare, no substrate, decco, plants, etc. Anything that can harbor a parasite or whatever just defeats the purpose of a QT, IMHO.

Not sure how you're set up, so here's my example. When I need a QT set up, I take 1 of my 2 filters from my DT and 20 gal of water, put it all in my spare 20 and I'm instantly cycled. When I'm doing a med treatment and complete it, I tear it all down and clean it all out because I don't want to infect anything I might put in later. Filter goes back to DT and in a week or less, it's reseeded.

Hope this help!

Sent from my Epic 4G using Aquarium

Thank you, my QT is pretty new so I can use the advise. Well I felt that some plants and decor were necesary to provide hiding spots. Like when I got my male and female killi, she needed to be able to hide from him when he got to be just too much (until I can get more females) so I thought a more regular tank set up was better. Also how long do you leave them in there? I just feel bad leaving anyone in a bare tank for any amount of time. I'm a big softie

I have never medicated anything yet except for a betta in their own tank, so that is something to think about, thank you for bringing that up.

When my crab tank had no crabs in it for a while the trumpet snails kept it alive so that's what gave me the idea. 4 medium sized snails produce a fair amount of waste, I think, for a 10 gal. Since I am never adding very much fish to the QT at one time, I feel like this should work. I like the idea of it all being already completely ready to go in an emergency.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thank you, my QT is pretty new so I can use the advise. Well I felt that some plants and decor were necesary to provide hiding spots. Like when I got my male and female killi, she needed to be able to hide from him when he got to be just too much (until I can get more females) so I thought a more regular tank set up was better. Also how long do you leave them in there? I just feel bad leaving anyone in a bare tank for any amount of time. I'm a big softie

I have never medicated anything yet except for a betta in their own tank, so that is something to think about, thank you for bringing that up.

When my crab tank had no crabs in it for a while the trumpet snails kept it alive so that's what gave me the idea. 4 medium sized snails produce a fair amount of waste, I think, for a 10 gal. Since I am never adding very much fish to the QT at one time, I feel like this should work. I like the idea of it all being already completely ready to go in an emergency.

I can see if you have an aggressive fish the need to put something for hiding. When I QT new fish or plants, I give it 3-5 days on average and keep a close eye on them.

But anytime I have to do meds and complete a course of it, I clean my QT out good. IMO, transferring fish from one tank to another can be hazardous if you're unsure of its health.

If you can put 2 filters on your DT, you automatically have a ready made colony.

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[siva]

I can see if you have an aggressive fish the need to put something for hiding. When I QT new fish or plants, I give it 3-5 days on average and keep a close eye on them.

But anytime I have to do meds and complete a course of it, I clean my QT out good. IMO, transferring fish from one tank to another can be hazardous if you're unsure of its health.

If you can put 2 filters on your DT, you automatically have a ready made colony.

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HMM I recently got a bunch of new plants and didn't even think to QT them. Of course that make sense. I'm a total space cadet sometimes

 

[Mr. Limpet]

HMM I recently got a bunch of new plants and didn't even think to QT them. Of course that make sense. I'm a total space cadet sometimes

I didn't worry about it either until I got a case of ick right after I put new plants in.

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[doogle]

happend to me too. darn baby tears

 

[Mixer]

Well al of this is good information. Yeah I wasn't thinking when I started this tank, I said it was going to be a QT tank, but after I got it I decided to have a dirted planted tank. I probably won't use this as a QT but instead put some foam into the filter and add a couple of fish then buy a small 5 gallon for QT and when I need it I will simply move the foam from the 10 gallon to the QT and it should be instant cycle.

Thanks to all for all the good information, this forum is a great bunch of folks.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Well al of this is good information. Yeah I wasn't thinking when I started this tank, I said it was going to be a QT tank, but after I got it I decided to have a dirted planted tank. I probably won't use this as a QT but instead put some foam into the filter and add a couple of fish then buy a small 5 gallon for QT and when I need it I will simply move the foam from the 10 gallon to the QT and it should be instant cycle.

Thanks to all for all the good information, this forum is a great bunch of folks.

Just a suggestion, but consider your biggest fish and size the QT to that. I have a big 4 yo Moor and QT him in a 20.

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[Mixer]

Fantastic idea limpet.