QT cycle

hayley2684 · 06/23/2006, 02:22 AM

i brought a 20g all in one quarantine unit yesterday. i mixed my water and salt and added stress zyme and stress coat to the water, and an air stone and a thermostst.

i set my filter up using matrix from my main tank, it also has ceramic noodles and activated carbon.

what do i need to do to cycle it? when i did my main tank, i cycled it with live rock, so i'm not really sure. the stress zyme says to add it on day 1 day 7 and day 14, is that my amonia? or is that the bacteria... and therfore i need to be adding some sorce of amonia? can i use just any fish food?i have only frozen foods for my marine tank but also have goldfish pellets for my pond, which should i use?

reefnetworth · 06/23/2006, 03:45 AM

your QT should be made of water from your main tank. it needs to be as exactly as the main. the purpose of QT is for disease control, Ick, etc. it shouldnt have ammonia unless its from main. adding fish is cruel, when cycling a tank. can you breath fire, or in the fish's case, ammonia. REEF-ON!!!

hayley2684 · 06/23/2006, 07:11 AM

thanks nano,

I'm not going to add any fish to an uncycled tank, i agree that it is cruel. but what should i be using to cycle the tank since there is nothing in there producing the amonia? should i be using the stress zyme? or some sort of fish flake to create the required biological filtration?

If i use water from my tank as well as filter media from my tank, is the tank then cycled? surely it needs to run with some sort amonia to establish its ownbiological fitration?

picnic · 06/23/2006, 07:16 AM

Well they have this stuff out here called cycle.It has bacteria in it to start the cycle not sure if you have it there.Worked in my tank.

mels95yj · 06/23/2006, 07:33 AM

The only time I've used a QT tank was when I added new fish, not for treatment of disease. The first time I set up the tank, I just coincided the set up of it during a water change. I used the water I took out of the main tank to fill up the QT tank. IMO, at that exact time, the QT is cycled. However, when you add a fish, there's no biological filtration to keep up with the ammonia the fish produces.

Needless to say, I lost 2 Ocellaris due to this lack of knowledge. What I do now is take a bio filter out of my Millennia 3000 HOB filter, place it in under a tupperware container that I drilled holes into. I place a powerhead on the top of the tupperware. This keeps up with the minor amount of ammonia produced. I've kept this running for about 3-4 weeks with no ill effects.

Some people will use a dedicated piece of LR that can go back into the main tank IF NO COPPER or other medications are used. Again, I'm only talking about QT'ing new fish. If you're using medications, then somebody else will have to help out.

Here's an article with pictures like I"m talking about. HTH

QT Tank

Mel

hayley2684 · 06/23/2006, 07:51 AM

thanks guys.

Mel,thanks for the link. i am also only intending to keep new fish in there at the momentbut i think i will keep the tank up and running so that i can put anyfish in there if they get sick or injured.

06/23/2006, 02:22 AM	#1
hayley2684 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: sydney australia Posts: 121	QT cycle i brought a 20g all in one quarantine unit yesterday. i mixed my water and salt and added stress zyme and stress coat to the water, and an air stone and a thermostst. i set my filter up using matrix from my main tank, it also has ceramic noodles and activated carbon. what do i need to do to cycle it? when i did my main tank, i cycled it with live rock, so i'm not really sure. the stress zyme says to add it on day 1 day 7 and day 14, is that my amonia? or is that the bacteria... and therfore i need to be adding some sorce of amonia? can i use just any fish food?i have only frozen foods for my marine tank but also have goldfish pellets for my pond, which should i use?

06/23/2006, 03:45 AM	#2
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	your QT should be made of water from your main tank. it needs to be as exactly as the main. the purpose of QT is for disease control, Ick, etc. it shouldnt have ammonia unless its from main. adding fish is cruel, when cycling a tank. can you breath fire, or in the fish's case, ammonia. REEF-ON!!! __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping.

06/23/2006, 07:16 AM	#4
picnic Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Surrey,B.C.,Canada Posts: 119	Well they have this stuff out here called cycle.It has bacteria in it to start the cycle not sure if you have it there.Worked in my tank. __________________ I hate fish that do the Houdini on ya!!! Current Tank Info: 33gal salt,29gal fresh,10 salt

06/23/2006, 07:11 AM	#3
hayley2684 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: sydney australia Posts: 121	thanks nano, I'm not going to add any fish to an uncycled tank, i agree that it is cruel. but what should i be using to cycle the tank since there is nothing in there producing the amonia? should i be using the stress zyme? or some sort of fish flake to create the required biological filtration? If i use water from my tank as well as filter media from my tank, is the tank then cycled? surely it needs to run with some sort amonia to establish its ownbiological fitration?

06/23/2006, 07:33 AM	#5
mels95yj Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Ashland, KY Posts: 196	The only time I've used a QT tank was when I added new fish, not for treatment of disease. The first time I set up the tank, I just coincided the set up of it during a water change. I used the water I took out of the main tank to fill up the QT tank. IMO, at that exact time, the QT is cycled. However, when you add a fish, there's no biological filtration to keep up with the ammonia the fish produces. Needless to say, I lost 2 Ocellaris due to this lack of knowledge. What I do now is take a bio filter out of my Millennia 3000 HOB filter, place it in under a tupperware container that I drilled holes into. I place a powerhead on the top of the tupperware. This keeps up with the minor amount of ammonia produced. I've kept this running for about 3-4 weeks with no ill effects. Some people will use a dedicated piece of LR that can go back into the main tank IF NO COPPER or other medications are used. Again, I'm only talking about QT'ing new fish. If you're using medications, then somebody else will have to help out. Here's an article with pictures like I"m talking about. HTH QT Tank Mel

06/23/2006, 07:51 AM	#6
hayley2684 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: sydney australia Posts: 121	thanks guys. Mel,thanks for the link. i am also only intending to keep new fish in there at the momentbut i think i will keep the tank up and running so that i can put anyfish in there if they get sick or injured.