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Unread 02/04/2009, 01:37 PM   #1
CloruroDiSodio
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New tank - Live rock and initial QT

Hi gang

One question (actually two). Once a new tank is started up and the water stabilized for temp, salinity, pH etc. I will put the live rock in. How long should I let the tank cycle with the live rock before I introduce any fish? Do I still need to quarantine the first fish that are introduced? I really won't have a matured biological filter to put in the QT tank for example to run the quarantine cycle. Should I just put the first fish in the main tank and watch them for 6 weeks?

thanks


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Unread 02/04/2009, 02:43 PM   #2
jtgrimes
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Well actually you could put the rock in now and live sand. Let it run a cycle for about 4-5 weeks. Let your powerheads and skimmer run as well, dont worry about lights. Also if the rock is dead like mine was get some live rock to seed the dead. I also took a toe out of my gf's hoes and put some uncooked shrimp in it an tied up, then putting it in the water to seed(and it gets nasty after a few weeks, but keep in there for at least 2.5 weeks.

Check for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, etc as the weeks pass. I did this when I started. It took about 4 weeks till mine was ready and I have a 30 gallon updating to a 75 gallon soon. I know that 4-5 weeks may be a longtime and your very anxious to start adding things but it is worth the wait.

I keep my temp at a steady 78-78.6. Once all your levels are good, you can add a fish but be very slow at adding things (fish, coral, rock, can spike up ur levels. )

I hope this helps and correct me if I'm wrong but I know it worked for me. Keep this thread going. Show some pics of your setup and cycle's.


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Unread 02/04/2009, 06:08 PM   #3
audiophile42
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Re: New tank - Live rock and initial QT

Quote:
Originally posted by CloruroDiSodio
Do I still need to quarantine the first fish that are introduced? I really won't have a matured biological filter to put in the QT tank for example to run the quarantine cycle. Should I just put the first fish in the main tank and watch them for 6 weeks?

thanks
I was wondering about this too. Everybody suggest quarantining, which I certainly understand. But how would you go about QT'ing when just starting up a tank? AFAIK it's not a good idea to put LR in a QT tank incase you neeed to treat with copper or other bad chemicals for the rock. So how would you get the biological filtration going in the QT tank?


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Unread 02/05/2009, 08:22 AM   #4
CloruroDiSodio
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Exactly! Anyone have additional input to these questions?


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Unread 02/05/2009, 10:09 AM   #5
IslandCrow
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You can run a quarantine tank without a mature biological filter. You just need to perform more water changes to keep the ammonia under control. Another option is to buy a small powerfilter now for your QT and put the biomedia in your tank while its cycling. By the time you're ready to buy a fish, it will be well seeded. The last option, and this probably isn't considered the best, is just adding the fish directly to the tank once it's done cycling. You are running a risk in infecting your tank with any parasites that may be on the new fish, but since there aren't any other fish, at least you're not infecting them. Worst case scenario, your fish shows signs of something like marine ich, and you have to remove the fish and keep the tank fallow for 6-8 weeks. Not ideal, but it's an option.


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Unread 02/05/2009, 11:35 AM   #6
NirvanaFan
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There is no need to keep the shrimp in the tank for that long. A few days is all that is needed. Or... just drop in a few pellets or a pinch of flake food every day. That will get the cycle going as well.

I agree with IslandCrow on the QT procedures.


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