QT Question

[TexAgReefer]

I'm getting ready to set up a QT as I would like to start adding fish in the next 4 weeks or so. My QT will be a basic 10g tank with a biowheel filter and heater, no substrate just a couple of large PVC. If I will be using water from my Main Tank to fill it and I place the biowheel in my sump for a few days, how long will I need to give the QT to "cycle" before I can add a fish to it?

 

[Titus]

@TexAgReefer wrote:

I would leave the biowheel in the sump for at least 2 weeks. No need to fill the QT and bring the biowheel over until about 24hrs before the fish comes home.

 

[TexAgReefer]

@Titus wrote:

I would leave the biowheel in the sump for at least 2 weeks. No need to fill the QT and bring the biowheel over until about 24hrs before the fish comes home."]

Thanks Titus. Once I have quarantined my fish and he's in my DT, should I drop some food in the QT periodically to feed the bacteria until I get another fish? I will put the biowheel in the sump for seeding purposes at first, but after that I don't ever want to put it back in there. And I want my QT to be ready at any time for a new fish or a sick fish if the need arises.

 

[TheReeferBoss]

Good question, I'm also planning on setting up my qt as soon as I find a bio cube or a nano which, from your post I'm gonna use water from my DT, how long should I wait for the water to settle in the qt tank, until its safe to put fish in it. Or should I test the water daily??

 

[Airstreamin]

If you're seeding the QT with water from your display tank you don't really need to wait, but, what you want is to make sure you have good bacteria filtration.

A trick I've used in the past and I've read a lot of others use is to buy yourself a bunch of sponge filters (not ultra fine ones), and about 2 weeks before you are going to use your QT you can toss that filter into your sump of your display tank, then when you're ready to use your QT you can just toss the sponge filter into your HOB and you're good to go. Once you're done QTing your fish you just toss the sponge in the trash and put a new one in your sump.

This will prevent you from cross contaminating your display tank with any parasites or medications from the QT and will make sure you're always ready to go with a seeded filter for your QT for use at any time.

Plus, you can buy huge sheets of filter material for cheap and just cut out the size you need to keep the costs down.

 

[Titus]

+1 on disposable sponge filters... That is how I do it. The day I move a sponge from the sump to my QT, I throw a new one in the sump. I leave the QT dry unless I am getting a new fish, but it sits ready minus the water and seeded sponge filter... It only takes me a few minutes to set it up. I usually do half fresh water and half from my Display tank, and do it the night before to allow the temp to get to the right place. If I ended up making an unplanned purchase, I would fill the QT with 100% display tank water and be ready to acclimate the new fish within 15 minutes.

 

[TexAgReefer]

Sounds great guys, thanks for the responses!