Red tailed sharks

jones- you can just run the clean (bleached or new) Q filter on the main tank. Or if there's room then place the clean Q media (sponge or polybag, not the bio-wheel) in the main filter not in the tank. I've never used bio-wheels.

I've kept the cycle going with small amounts of food if I'll be using the Qtank again very soon. I used appx the amount of flake I'd feed if there were fish in there, nowhere near a teaspoon, only every 2 or 3 days. Most often I fed the filter rather than the tank, less messy.
 
fishorama: you may be "way out of my league with respect to you scenarios and questions" but I will try to respond as best i can based on my experience.


fishorama said:
jones- you can just run the clean (bleached or new) Q filter on the main tank. Or if there's room then place the clean Q media (sponge or polybag, not the bio-wheel) in the main filter not in the tank. I've never used bio-wheels.

I've kept the cycle going with small amounts of food if I'll be using the Qtank again very soon. I used appx the amount of flake I'd feed if there were fish in there, nowhere near a teaspoon, only every 2 or 3 days. Most often I fed the filter rather than the tank, less messy.
Click to expand...

I am not talking down but just try to save you problems.
A mild chlorine bleach soaking (for like 24 hours) is wonderful for the erradication of pathogens but whatever has been soaked in this bleach needs to be rinsed two times in hot water and soaked one time in warm waterr with a dechlorinate added for 24 hours.

If not unaesthetic place the biowheel in the main tank. This is the critical biological filtration media. In addition rinse the pad in tank water and place in the main tank.

IMHO when trying to maintain digestion bacteria messy is good when no fish are present.
When you have green water in the tank and algae on the sides of the tank then you will know that you have been overfeeding or overlighting.

TR

I hope that I have helped some as I could not tell for sure where you "coming from" with much of your post.
 
jones, I was trying to answer YOUR questions & comments. 20 days is a very long time to get a quarrantine tank up & cycled, sick fish can't wait. Your technique may work but there are much easier & faster (& "aesthetic") ways like Beasts & I pointed out. I'll try again to explain.

Nitrifying bacteria colonize all surfaces: filter parts, substrate, decor etc, not just the "biologic" filter media. They need oxygen & food to survive. If they die they can cause spikes in ammonia & nitrites. Without it's usual flow of water & oxygen, the bio-wheel will not support all of the bacteria on it. So just placing it in the tank is less effective than actually running the filter.

As for feeding food to an empty tank, it doesn't matter if the food (or waste) is floating around the tank or in the filter. It is the product of the breakdown that feeds the bacteria & that is in the water in the tank & filter, not pieces of food. Too much is not only unneeded but can (again) cause spikes when fish are added & don't supply enough waste for the amount of bacteria. A teaspoon is more than I feed any occupied tank.

I also believe you are overdoing the bleach & dechlorinaion. For me an hour bleaching is enough after washing in tap water, although I often leave it longer. Dechlorinating products like Prime do just that, remove chlorine. I use it at about 5 times the usual treatment, soak for an hour or so, rinse & repeat (maybe twice). If chlorine & oxygenation are good enough for my drinking water it's good enough for my fish.

Hope that helps.
 
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