QT: it's probably a dumb ?

[libbyb]

If I have no fish to quarantine, is there any way to preserve my bacteria? Should I just keep it running as long as there's an ammonia source?

Actually, I want to just have another tank but I'm not sure my husband will go for it considering I've spent so much money in the last month for my new toys for my babies.

 

[bluerose]

You can run the filter for the QT tank on your main tank (or, if you have room in the filter housing, run extra media in the main tank filter) so that when you need to use the QT, the filter is good to go.

 

[HN1]

What Blue said!

You can run your QT filter on your main tank or keep it running with an ammonia source.

 

[FishEggs]

if you have used it for quarantine already i wouldn't put in the main tank before washing it first. could be unwanted things in it. after washing and letting it dry it should be alright to run on the main tank to recharge the bacteria then after a few weeks it will be ready to put on your qt when you need it for a new fish.

 

[libbyb]

Excellent ideas. Thanks, again!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yep.. run it on main, pull it for qt when/if needed. If you're qt'ing new fish with no signs of disease during the qt period, just put it back on the main... if any of the fish go through a disease, bleach everything bleachable and get new filter media, then put it back on the main for future purposes

 

[taylorodw]

This is what I do as well.

I have a 10g QT with a 10G filter. I run the filter on the display tank, and when I get new stock I pull it to the 10G and observe the parameters. So far I haven't had a mini-cycle.

Then, when the stock and QT are healthy, moving it back to the main tank also moves a filter with enough capacity to maintain the new additions. A bare QT tank will not have much surface area for bacteria to grow, so a high concentration will be in the filter.

Happy fishkeeping.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I don't have a QT tank myself - I should do, I know!
But as others have said, get a small filter like an Interpet PF mini and leave it running in your main tank, you probably won't even notice it's there!

 

[JohnPaul]

Another option is to keep your QT running all the time with something living in there; actually some snails would do the trick; either one really big snail (like an Apple Snail) or a handful of medium-sized snails like ramshorns or nerites. They won't generate the amount of waste fish generate, but they certainly will generate enough to keep the filter bacteria alive and the tank cycled.

I have a 5.5 gal tank right now that I am using to breed bright orange/tangerine color ramshorn snails. It also has an amano shrimp and a few dwarf shrimp in there. Soething like that can be an interesting tank in its own right, and also serve as a good QT when the time arises.

 

[libbyb]

You can QT with inverts? Just not fish?

 

[JohnPaul]

You can QT with inverts? Just not fish?

Not sure I understand exactly what you are asking here...

All you need to keep filter bacteria alive in a QT is some source of ammonia. Obviously fish are one possibility, but snails & other inverts (shrimp etc.) definitely poop as well and yes you can most certainly keep a tank cycled if you have enough of them in your tank.

Another nice thing about inverts is that basically fish diseases aren't passed to inverts & vice-versa, so you don't have to worry about fish diseases causing your snails/shrimp to get sick.

 

[libbyb]

Sorry, I didn't pose the question right. You answered it though. I wanted to know if you could qt with inverts still in there without harming anyone or passing things back and forth.
Thanks!

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

the only thing about QTing with inverts. I heard that, no snails and inverts cant get a disease but a snail could transfer for example ICH on its shell to a different tank. Don't know if this is true or not but i heard this from a reliable ma and pa fish store. Ive known the man that runs it for a couple years now.