How to QT

[shayfish]

After some of the troubles I've had with my 55 gallon community, I have decided that I should really have a QT. I don't really get it though... how do you keep it cycled when there's no fish in it? Is 5 gallons too small for a hospital? I can't afford a big one right now.

Any/all advice appreciated.

 

[coldmachineUK]

I tend to keep a small internal power filter running on one of my established tanks at all times. Usually 2-3 across them all. So, I just take one of those and stick it in a spare tank if I need to QT

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I would go with a 10 gal. They are not much more and give you twice the space. I just run the filter for our QT on another tank. If I need to QT a new arrival I just move the filter for the duration. When I move the fish I just put the filter back.

 

[joannde]

If you don't want to run an entire extra filter I just have an extra piece of filter floss shoved into the HOB for my 35G. When I need to use open up the QT I get that extra piece of material out and put it into a corner filter on the QT. Since there's generally only a couple of very small fish in there it does the trick. I also leave the QT barebottom so that theres no need to gravel vac - anything on the bottom comes right up with a "wave of the wand" over the bottom.

 

[TomK2]

A sponge over the intake of your main tanks filter also works. It becomes colonized, and you can move it over to the QT's intake when you need it. A sponge is also easy to clean and disinfect, then re-use. Otherwise, I take biomedia from my canister filter and put it in the QT's filter.

 

[shayfish]

Okay, now here's a question.

I need a QT like... right now. How can I possibly get it established/cycled before I loose my whole tank from one sick little fish?

 

[joannde]

Use 1/2 the filter material from your main tank - leave the other half in your main tank with a new filter. That should be enough to pretty much instantly cycle the tank.

 

[TomK2]

What joannde said. Take up to half of your colonized media from the main tank and cram the QT's filter full of it. Then do water changes on the QT if to dilute the minor transient spikes that may occur.