qt confussion?!?!?!

[abrahamavelar]

well i was thinking on starting my qt tank and start cycling it but then i ran into this article in here about qt's so it got me thinking should u keep it running or put it away after each use??? by the way this is the link

The Freshwater Quarantine Tank

thx for reading any input will be greatly appreciated

 

[abrahamavelar]

any1??????

 

[Flossie]

U can just run an extra filter on your DT at all times incase u need to QT or treat any fish. I hear sponge filters are easiest and cheap!

 

[abrahamavelar]

oh ok cool thx!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gboy66]

Let me get this straight, if a tank used to have fish in it and was perfectly cycled, then the fish are removed but the empty tank is still running, after awhile it is no longer safe for fish and not cycled??

 

[Terrance]

Most beneficial bacteria is in the filter. If you have two filters in your display tank, then you can take one of them out and use it for your QT.

Your QT is left empty, but just fill it out with water and get your filter for your display tank when you buy your new fish.

People have had a lot success doing this.

For the people that has done this: does the water quality of your display tank suffer? you just removed ~30-40% of your beneficial bacteria.

 

[eco23]

Let me get this straight, if a tank used to have fish in it and was perfectly cycled, then the fish are removed but the empty tank is still running, after awhile it is no longer safe for fish and not cycled??

Beneficial bacteria adjust directly to it's available food source...ammonia (secondly no2). So once the bio-load is removed, there is no food for the beneficial bacteria at which it beings to slowly die off. The time frame is debatable...but around a week before significant decrease is generally accepted.

Flossie is absolutely right that there is no need to permanently keep a QT set up. You can run two filters on your main tank, when a QT is needed throw one of the filters on the other tank and it's instantly cycled (within reason).

"Cycling" gets over complicated, but it simply means the proportion of beneficial bacteria : toxins is in balance where there's enough nitrifiers to efficiently convert the waste fish produce. I don't actively keep a second filter running on my DT, but when I need to set up a QT I just grab a handful of bio-media, jam it into the filter on the QT, and the amount of bacteria I donate is capable of handling the waste the fish are producing in the quarantine tank.

But yeah, without food (an ammonia source)...the bacteria starves and dies.

 

[eco23]

For the people that has done this: does the water quality of your display tank suffer? you just removed ~30-40% of your beneficial bacteria.

You'll have to watch out for mini-cycles...but in a well established DT...it doesn't take long for the beneficial bacteria to adjust. A few pwc's do the trick if there are any toxin spikes.

 

[abrahamavelar]

Oh ok cuz I wasnt sure after I read that article it made me wonder, now the sponge filters can they be diy or is it better to buy one??? Also could I put one of the scrubbing pads I have in my canister to seed a sponge filter

 

[Flossie]

oh ok cool thx!!!!!!!!!!

No problem. You are welcome