QT Tank Questions

[AndrewH]

I will be getting a new 29 gallon tank tomorrow and will be changing my RTS over to it when it's done with it's fish less cycle. I'm going to be leaving my snails in my 10 gallon and turning it into a QT tank. My questions is will the snails provide enough ammonia to keep bacteria in check? I currently have 1 Apple Snail and atleast 2 other baby snails (Uknown Type) That traveled on some plants. If not what can I put in there to keep it cycled?

 

[new2betas]

No, the snails will not be enough to keep it cycled. Well, that is a toughy and a situation I have found myself in also. You could either dose a few small drops of ammonia daily to keep it cycled (won't hurt the snails) or get a fish that can be interchanged if someone needs QT'ing or you get new fish you want to QT before adding them to your new 29g tank. You could try getting a female betta and putting her in there. I just added my two female bettas to my established 29g tank yesterday and they seem to be doing fine this morning. I even saw them "hanging out" in the hornwort this morning, which is amazing because they had to be separated from each other when I first brought them home. But, for your 10g tank, one would be very happy in there!

 

[marchmaxima]

If you wish to keep the 10g tank up and running and cycled, you could add a 1/2 a raw prawn as an ammonia source. This would save you from manually adding ammonia every day. I am unable to buy high-grade ammonia here in Oz, so this is what I use for fishless cylcing. Just drop it in and it will decompose and disintegrate into nothing. When it is close to gone add another 1/2.

But if all you want is to keep some filter media ready so that you can set up your 10g in a moments notice, you probablt have other options. Depending on the filters you have, you might be able to put some of the sponges/media belonging to the 10g in the filter belonging to the 29g. Then, if you need to set up the QT, you can just go get the seeded media from the filter. Alternatively you could run the foilter for the 10g on the 29g tank. You have two filters, bit again, you can easily move the 10g filter if needed.

 

[QTOFFER]

But if all you want is to keep some filter media ready so that you can set up your 10g in a moments notice, you probablt have other options. Depending on the filters you have, you might be able to put some of the sponges/media belonging to the 10g in the filter belonging to the 29g. Then, if you need to set up the QT, you can just go get the seeded media from the filter. Alternatively you could run the foilter for the 10g on the 29g tank. You have two filters, bit again, you can easily move the 10g filter if needed.

This is exactly what I do and it seems to work well.
I use a Penguin mini on my QT tank, and I always slip a Penguin filter cartridge inside my cannister filter to keep it cycled. I also keep the biowheel stashed away behind some plants in my show tank.

 

[tabbycat0282]

Aren't the snails susceptable to getting whatever problem the quarauteened fish has? If you have the snails in the tank you might be limited on what you can dose the QT fish with so that you don't hurt the snails. I think the snails are an extra hassel to keep in a QT tank. The Beta option sounds best to me, but I am a NEWBIE...so what do I know? I have a q

 

[tabbycat0282]

Sorry....computer sent on accident. I was saying that I will have a QT that is 1 gallon and I was thinking about using it as shrimp fry tank when I am not in need of a QT and that will keep it useful to me. I know that I will have to change out the water (back to fresh from brackish/salt) but from what I read the QT doesn't have to be cycled because the antibiotics that are put in for the sick fish kill off the good bacteria anyway. I would only need to have a cycled tank when I want to quaranteen new fish.