help quickly in a hurry... qt need a substrate

I've set up a qt without a cycle the first time. But it meant LOTS of water changes. LOTS. I'd not advise it unless it is an emergency such as a hospitalization. If it is for a new purchase I'd wait until you have some cycled bacteria on a filter at least.
 
To convert;
Saltwater tanks are a lot more complex than FW. You need to do alot of reading. Empty all the water. It is no good, FW bacteria ( for short ), chemicals, and heavy metals. Fill it up with pure RO/DI water. You can't use tap water for a SW tank. Add a synthetic salt made for this purpos, obtain a specific gravity of 1.020. Ditch the filter. It possesses bacteria not beneficial to SW, It will compeat with the stuff in the LR. Add LR. Let the tank cycle. Wait until ammonia, nitrite, then nitrate to spike, then fall to 0. At this point you can start W/Cs, add a CUC and get a skimmer. Don't cheap out on skimmers, it is you life support, you get what you pay for. By this time ( a few months into it - you must take it slow ) You should have gained alot of knowledge. You can consider fish to add ( you can only have one, two at the most ), a damsel, a pair of small clowns, or a couple goby's. If you want to go reef extra preparations are necessary. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.
 
PEMfish said:
To convert;
Saltwater tanks are a lot more complex than FW. You need to do alot of reading. Empty all the water. It is no good, FW bacteria ( for short ), chemicals, and heavy metals. Fill it up with pure RO/DI water. You can't use tap water for a SW tank. Add a synthetic salt made for this purpos, obtain a specific gravity of 1.020. Ditch the filter. It possesses bacteria not beneficial to SW, It will compeat with the stuff in the LR. Add LR. Let the tank cycle. Wait until ammonia, nitrite, then nitrate to spike, then fall to 0. At this point you can start W/Cs, add a CUC and get a skimmer. Don't cheap out on skimmers, it is you life support, you get what you pay for. By this time ( a few months into it - you must take it slow ) You should have gained alot of knowledge. You can consider fish to add ( you can only have one, two at the most ), a damsel, a pair of small clowns, or a couple goby's. If you want to go reef extra preparations are necessary. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.
Click to expand...


Great little write up PEMFish....however, this is for setting up a Quarantine tank, and hope this does not confuse matters for people...

Great post, i have to say though mate, thank you :)

Niko
 
When I setup my QT, I used a filter that I had seeding in my sump on my main tank. Well it didn't seed to well as my main tank is new as well. I dosed a little pure ammonia in the QT and it did not process it at all in 2 days. So instead of waiting 4 weeks, I purchased a pack of Bio Spira.. WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! took the ammonia down to 0 in 2 days, Nitrites spiked for a day then went down. Been a week and 0 ammonia, small amount on Nitrites and around 30 on the Nitrates. I have been doing daily 10 percent water changes and the Trites are just about gone and the Nitrates are coming down. This stuff WORKS if you need to get fish into a tank ASAP... Now I don't think I would cycle a main tank with it, but for QT or hospital it works as advertised and is definately not snake oil.

In the future, the QT filter should seed much better as my main tank matures.
 
PEMfish said:
To convert;
Saltwater tanks are a lot more complex than FW. You need to do alot of reading. Empty all the water. It is no good, FW bacteria ( for short ), chemicals, and heavy metals. Fill it up with pure RO/DI water. You can't use tap water for a SW tank. Add a synthetic salt made for this purpos, obtain a specific gravity of 1.020. Ditch the filter. It possesses bacteria not beneficial to SW, It will compeat with the stuff in the LR. Add LR. Let the tank cycle. Wait until ammonia, nitrite, then nitrate to spike, then fall to 0. At this point you can start W/Cs, add a CUC and get a skimmer. Don't cheap out on skimmers, it is you life support, you get what you pay for. By this time ( a few months into it - you must take it slow ) You should have gained alot of knowledge. You can consider fish to add ( you can only have one, two at the most ), a damsel, a pair of small clowns, or a couple goby's. If you want to go reef extra preparations are necessary. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.
Click to expand...

I agree that reading is a requirement in this hobby.

I don't agree though that tap can't be used. Although I prefer RO/DI I do know of people successfully using tap. Tap in their area may be different than mine or yours.

On the 1.020 SG, I'm a bit confused. That is a lot lower than I'd recommend for a display and too high if it is for hyposalinity in a QT set-up as the thread is about.

Which brings us to the filter, I believe a filter is a good way to go on a QT, especially since the media can be store in your display's sump until it is needed for a quick cycle in the QT.
 
if i am goin to keep my qt running all the time should i have a shrimp or a damsel in their all they time to keep the tank cycled
 
what could i put into the tank to keep it cycled. a snail or crab that is easy to catch?
 
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