IsisP Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 I have been managing an uncycled QT tank because some of the meds could crash something so delicate as the cycle of a tank. Have you had experience with that? I healed one guppy from fin rot like that. But I want to know professional opinions 🙂 I always watch for pH and Ammonia spikes since its uncycled and will never had nitrite or nitrate. Please be nice ... if I am doing wrong I would like some advice to correct my methods. thanks 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Marie Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 (edited) I keep a spare sponge filter going in my main tank. If the quarantine tank is needed, I just pop it out of the main tank into the quarantine tank and tada, a tank that's cycled. Then I just clean it and move it back to the main tank to gather more bacteria for next time. Edited January 6 by Miranda Marie 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsisP Posted January 6 Author Share Posted January 6 On 1/6/2024 at 1:54 PM, Miranda Marie said: I keep a spare sponge filter going in my main tank. If the quarantine tank is needed, I just pop it out of the main tank into the quarantine tank and tada, a tank that's cycled. Then I just clean it and move it back to the main tank to gather more bacteria for next time. But what if the medicine drops the bacteria critically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 I use the med trio for all new fish I bring into the house and I’ve never seen the meds crash the cycle. That being said, I don’t feed for the first 4 days, and then I feed just a little bit. I also do a long QT (1 week of meds, and then an additional 3-5 weeks) so I slowly increase feeding over those additional weeks. When the QT tank is “empty” I just keep some Ramshorn snails in it and feed lightly a couple of times per week to keep the tank cycled. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Marie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 1:01 PM, IsisP said: But what if the medicine drops the bacteria critically? I have a second sponge in the smaller tank I have that I can switch out if I do experience a bacteria die off. The only time I have experienced that, though, is when using Expel-P. None of the med trio has impacted my bacteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsisP Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 8:18 PM, Miranda Marie said: I have a second sponge in the smaller tank I have that I can switch out if I do experience a bacteria die off. The only time I have experienced that, though, is when using Expel-P. None of the med trio has impacted my bacteria. Can I use a piece of sponge from my filter to cycle the QT too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Marie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 7:25 PM, IsisP said: Can I use a piece of sponge from my filter to cycle the QT too? You certainly could. I have used pre-filter sponges for that before, too, when I didn't have an extra sponge filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 9:25 PM, IsisP said: Can I use a piece of sponge from my filter to cycle the QT too? It will definitely help jump start a cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 11:47 AM, IsisP said: Please be nice ... if I am doing wrong I would like some advice to correct my methods. I literally just setup a sterile tank and the hope there is that it acts as a QT tank for me. There's a few things that I did. First is that the hardscape in the tank is lava rock, which is essentially biomedia. Even if I was just running air stones in the tank, it's got a biological filter. I also tossed in ceramic media to the base of the tank. Not as a substrate, but as just a pile for bacteria to colonize. I have a sponge filter in there and I will also keep an eye out for how the cycle is doing. I will add a pinch of food or something, squeeze out another filter into this tank, or something to get some sort of biological life going in the tank. I have a light for the tank, but that light also isn't going to be on any sort of timer or anything. Ambient light only for QT and I'll turn the light on or use a flashlight to visually inspect the fish in that system. That's my method.... hopefully it helps. I also have a spare Hob I can toss on the tank and it is purely there to host strong bacteria and hold some media. It also lets me run carbon too, if need be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govsfabshop Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Maybe I've been lucky but I keep my 10gal qt running all the time and even keeping minimal snails in it have yet to crash it. While ago I brought in a group that ended up with ich and knowing I was bringing in some high dollar stuff within the month or so I blasted it with salt, ich x and ran the heaters at about 95 for a week straight, tank bounced right back after a few water changes to get rid of the salt and even a few snails made it through with hot blue water and a 46%salt content! I try to keep qts running and cycled with the most pristine water that matches my other tank parameters so if a fish needs to get pulled for treatment their going into close to the same and good water as what their coming from. Have had pretty good luck rehabbing that way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsisP Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 thank you, i ill try to have mine running too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 2:52 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said: When the QT tank is “empty” I just keep some Ramshorn snails in it and feed lightly a couple of times per week to keep the tank cycled. Very smart idea. I don't have a quarantine tank, but, NOW, I'll take my empty 5 gallon and do what you mentioned. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsisP Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 On 1/6/2024 at 8:41 PM, Tlindsey said: It will definitely help jump start a cycle. How long could it take to be fully cycled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) On 1/7/2024 at 3:36 PM, IsisP said: How long could it take to be fully cycled? Depends on how fast your parameters stabilize. It could take 6-7 weeks if you started with no live beneficial bacteria. Also depends on various factors such as bioload and water temperature. On 1/7/2024 at 3:42 AM, Seisage said: I looooove turkey basters for aquarium work!! I've only just started keeping personal tanks, but I volunteer at a local aquarium and we use turkey basters for feeding and cleaning (primarily sea cucumber and urchin poop...) all the time. I'll definitely be getting one for my own tanks. They're amazing for targeted removal of waste and debris. Better than siphons, in my opinion, because they're easier to use and don't remove much water. They're also better than siphons for fine substrate like sand because the suction is so delicate and controlled! Okay, I'm done being a shill for Big Turkey Baster now lol. But seriously, they're a game changer. On 1/7/2024 at 12:21 AM, princedreaming said: So my idea is to use eco complete on top of the filter plates, and then a layer of aquasoil, and then a cap of sand, for a total of 4" or 5" inches. I once did an undergravel with just eco complete and aquasoil (ADA) and it seemed to work great while I hadn't, which admittedly was only a few months before I had to take it down for life reasons. I know the layers, plus the mulm on top, will eventually become one, but will that be a problem? The reason I want the sand is I think the botanicals would look nicer on top of sand than just dark aquasoil, and because I plan on having fish that like to play in sand. Thank you for reading. On 1/7/2024 at 3:36 PM, IsisP said: How long could it take to be fully cycled? Edited January 7 by Tlindsey Misspelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandavision Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 On 1/7/2024 at 1:23 PM, Flipper said: Very smart idea. I don't have a quarantine tank, but, NOW, I'll take my empty 5 gallon and do what you mentioned. 😉 Re-newbie here after 27 year hiatus. My ocd doesn't allow me back into the hobby after 26 years until I have a quarantine tank.i was going to pull the trigger on a 10 gal "kit" But is a 5 gal sufficient for now for fish up to 3"? Also. Should live plants be avoided in a qt to make sanitation easier? Should there be a separate qt tank just for live plants? Also Is 4-6 weeks qt legit or just social media noise? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 On 1/9/2024 at 4:15 PM, wandavision said: i was going to pull the trigger on a 10 gal "kit" But is a 5 gal sufficient for now for fish up to 3"? No, use the 10 gal. Your right, I'll just buy a new 10 gal and keep the 5 for emergencies. My fish are much smaller than 3". But bigger is better, if you have the room. On 1/9/2024 at 4:15 PM, wandavision said: Also Is 4-6 weeks qt legit or just social media noise? For setting up a new tank and getting it through the Nitrogen Cycle, yes, 4-6 weeks is legit, but worth it. There'slots of info here on cycling the tank. Co-Op forum will give you MUCH BETTER info than those fly-by-night social media sources. You came to the right place. Now, introduce your tanks and animals, plant ideas, types of fish, your dreams.... On 1/6/2024 at 2:01 PM, IsisP said: But what if the medicine drops the bacteria critically? On 1/9/2024 at 4:15 PM, wandavision said: Should there be a separate qt tank just for live plants? On 1/9/2024 at 4:15 PM, wandavision said: Should live plants be avoided in a qt to make sanitation easier? The beneficial bacteria should be fine. I've used different meds with no problems. When meds are done, do a water change and add carbon filter for a week to remove any traces of carbon. When I quarantine, I leave the plants in the tank so as not to disturb everything, but do a water change and clean up the tank to be ready for fish to come back. Yes, unless you just want 1 floating plant or small Anubias in the QT, just to comfort the critters while they're healing. (do you just have fish? or shrimp and snails, too? On 1/9/2024 at 4:15 PM, wandavision said: I can't get this box to go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipper Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 On 1/9/2024 at 6:17 PM, Flipper said: dd carbon filter for a week to remove any traces of carbon. I meant, to remove any lingering traces of the meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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