QT TANK QUESTIONS

[Lgara1303]

Hello All,
I just set up a QT last night and added filter media from my main DT into the HOB filter on the QT tank I also dosed some live Bacteria. I had plans to get a fish soon but that fell through and I do not plan to use it until next week but would like to see how hard it is to keep it running until then or even all the time if it is not as hard. Can I just add some food to the tank and ghost feed it to feed the bacteria in there or put a hardy fish in, Mollies, Chromo I would say clown but have plans to get a pair and don't want to QT them together. How do you guys keep your QT running or how can I keep this tank ready for at least another week or a little longer.

To add to this this quarantine tank is for my new 75 gallon that I am building. I am also cycling that tank and it appears ready for fish. I was planning on putting in two or three pajama fish. However, that goes obviously against what I think about quarantining, but I am unsure if I have to add a fish now or if I can just ghost feed my new 75 gallon tank until I’m ready to add fish into it and then I could add my three pajama fish to the quarantine tank so I have fish in that. I have added life bacteria to the 75 gallon tank and have been told by multiple fish stores to add fish within a few days after your annomia has dropped which is why I was going to add the pajama fish now and I’m unsure if I can wait and just add food until I’m ready or not. What would you guys do? I have been trying to re-I have been trying to research and gather other opinions but literally every opinion is something different even when it comes to cycling the tank and when to add what would you guys do?what would you guys do? Thanks for help

 

[lapin]

Leave your QT as is and add some food to keep the bacteria growing.
Change out your water before adding fish to it and measure ammonia daily

 

[twentyleagues]

You can ghost feed or add small amounts of ammonia. A lot of people say once its cycled it can not loose the cycle and I guess in some part thats true. I do believe you wont loose all bacteria if they have nothing to eat but youll get some die off. As long as you are not overstocking either to start you should be fine the bacteria will rebound pretty quickly. I prefer to add small amounts of ammonia every few days to keep it at or near ready to go. I wouldnt add fish to either tank you are not wanting to keep just to provide activity. Its also not a good idea as they would be exposed to whatever pathogens the incoming fish have or could have.

 

[Lgara1303]

You can ghost feed or add small amounts of ammonia. A lot of people say once its cycled it can not loose the cycle and I guess in some part thats true. I do believe you wont loose all bacteria if they have nothing to eat but youll get some die off. As long as you are not overstocking either to start you should be fine the bacteria will rebound pretty quickly. I prefer to add small amounts of ammonia every few days to keep it at or near ready to go. I wouldnt add fish to either tank you are not wanting to keep just to provide activity. Its also not a good idea as they would be exposed to whatever pathogens the incoming fish have or could have.

Thank you for this this makes sense. Should I add my pajama fish to the quarantine tank and ghost feed my new 75 gallon tank since I obviously want quarantining to be a part of my standard

 

[Lgara1303]

Leave your QT as is and add some food to keep the bacteria growing.
Change out your water before adding fish to it and measure ammonia daily

How much water do you change out before adding fish ?

 

[lapin]

I usually did 50% but it depends on ammonia and nitrate levels.
Now im a TTM type person. New water (extra QT tank) every 36 hours for 2 weeks

 

[twentyleagues]

Thank you for this this makes sense. Should I add my pajama fish to the quarantine tank and ghost feed my new 75 gallon tank since I obviously want quarantining to be a part of my standard

Yes. Treatment tank gets new fish. Ghost feed your tank. Test water parameters before adding fish to see nitrate ammonia, nitrite do appropriate water change to get these in line imo less then 10 nitrate 0,0 on others. Check sg depending on which qt protocal you are running. It also helps if you measure the sg of the incoming water the fish are in and be able to match your qt to that sg.

 

[Lgara1303]

I usually did 50% but it depends on ammonia and nitrate levels.

Has the levels ever been OK you don’t have to change the water what level do you usually look for that you’re like OK I definitely need to do a water change? Just curious I see a lot of people do a lot of water changes when quarantining fish, so I’m assuming the levels raise quite frequently I’m just not sure at what point do you do the water change

 

[Lgara1303]

OK and do I just add my fish to the new 75 gallon tank once they are done quarantining or is there anything special I need to do is the tank just cycled the whole time you are ghost feeding. Obviously with a cycled tank, you would just acclimate and add your fish once they are done quarantining.

Yes. Treatment tank gets new fish. Ghost feed your tank. Test water parameters before adding fish to see nitrate ammonia, nitrite do appropriate water change to get these in line imo less then 10 nitrate 0,0 on others. Check sg depending on which qt protocal you are running. It also helps if you measure the sg of the incoming water the fish are in and be able to match your qt to that s

 

[Lgara1303]

Yes. Treatment tank gets new fish. Ghost feed your tank. Test water parameters before adding fish to see nitrate ammonia, nitrite do appropriate water change to get these in line imo less then 10 nitrate 0,0 on others. Check sg depending on which qt protocal you are running. It also helps if you measure the sg of the incoming water the fish are in and be able to match your qt to that sg.

also, do you think three pajama cardinals that are very small OK to quarantine in a 20 gallon long tank

 

[twentyleagues]

OK and do I just add my fish to the new 75 gallon tank once they are done quarantining or is there anything special I need to do is the tank just cycled the whole time you are ghost feeding. Obviously with a cycled tank, you would just acclimate and add your fish once they are done quarantining.

test, w/c if needed. Match qt to parameters to tank parameters add qt'd fish to tank.

 

[lapin]

Obviously with a cycled tank, you would just acclimate and add your fish once they are done quarantining.
To add to this this quarantine tank is for my new 75 gallon that I am building. I am also cycling that tank and it appears ready for fish.

Test water to above stated levels. Match salinity and temp and in they go.