Setting Up A Q-Tank

Riso-chan

Riso-chan

The Blue Girl
Jan 17, 2005
322
0
0
41
Florida, USA
Hey guys, just wanted to know how to set up a small Q-tank for when I decide to add more fish to the main tank.
I'm thinking a ten gallon would be nice enough for size and saving room. What type/ brand of sponge filter works well enough? The gravel and fake ornaments shouldn't be much of a worry of expence.

Also, need some suggestions of where I should put it since I'm running out of space in my room(Funny they call it a room when you don't have enough). A suggested list of equipment would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanx guys~ Angela

PS: I'll probably be doing this some time after christmas, I needed to plan ahead though.
 
I'm not trying to steal your thread but...I'm interested in the same questions. :)


I've never had a Q tank...guess I've been lucky thus far. I have an extra 10 gallon also along with filter and heater. Just need gravel. Hope you get some good responses. :cool:
 
depending on the size of your fish a 10 gal should be a good size q- tank. You may want to look at other filter options than a sponge filter. If it were up to me i would do a decent H.O.B. filter. Bare bottom tanks are usually the way to go with q tanks, making it easier to clean.
 
Maybe I should go with one of those 5 gallon starter kits, since I won't be dealing with anything other than kuhlis, white clouds, and like sized fish.

The question is, what kind of filter would be best for that?

Would it be wise to go with a kit since the equipment is included or should I put everything together myself?

Also, as for a place to put this q-tank, would my bathroom be alright? The reason I ask is because humidity occurs after using the shower.
 
I would just pick up a cheap 10g tank. The nice thing about 10g QT tanks is they take alot of guesswirk out of dosing meds (as most dosages are per 10 gallons of water). As for filters I always use sponge filters, they're easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store when not using. As mentioned above gravel isn't really needed it a QT tank, though I would suggest paiting or covering the bottom of the tank with shelf paper (helps make fish feel secure in a bb set up). The only other things I would suggest of course is a quality heater and some plastic plants and/or PVC pipe for shelter.
As for putting the tank in the bathroom...that's your call.
 
Thanx. I was mainly worried about humidity in the bathroom after shower use, it raises then falls back to a dry state within a short period. I was concerned it might change the water temp, or cause some damage to the equipment on the outside of the tank.
 
In another thread, someone mentioned they use the same HOB filter setup for the main tank as well as the Q-tank. That way, when they need the Q-tank they simply remove one of the filter media from the main tank's HOB, put it in the Q-tanks filter and *bang* have an instantly cycled tank. *shrug* Not sure how practical that will be for you, but it does raise a question for me... in the absence of a persistent supply of ammonia (i.e., fish) how does one keep a Q-tank cycled? Regular ammonia doses?
 
Snowheart,
You can keep your Q-tank cycled with ammonia, but it seems that one reason many people use an extra filter or media on their main tank is so they don't have to constantly worry about feeding an extra tank.

All, there is a good article on Q-tanks in the Articles section.. Most of the articles don't show for me because of the recent post filter - you need to change it from "last 45 days" to "beginning" to see all of the articles.

Small power filters for a 10 gallon tank are small and don't cost very much, and you can run it on your main tank and transfer the entire filter to the Q-tank when needed. I have a Penguin Mini running on my main tank now. I don't need it for mechanical or chemical filtering, so it is running without a filter cartridge, and only its Bio-wheel. Should I need the Q-tank, I will insert a filter cartridge while transferring it to a 10-gallon tank.
 
I keep an aquaclear sponge in my extra media basket that comes with my pengiun 200 in one of my tanks known to be disease free. If I ever need to use my QT tank, I take the sponge out and put it in a cheap sponge filter I bought at petlandiscounts for $5 and viola, I have an instantly cycled tank. I know the tank is instantly cycled because my tapwater has both ammonia and nitrites in it. I test the tank 24 hours after I add the sponge to the filter and both tests come out at 0.0. When I am done with the QT tank, the sponge goes into a pot of boiling water and cooks for 20 minutes. The rest of the tank gets cleaned with a mild bleach solution (4 cups per 10 gallons), rinsed well and airdryed. After the sponge is sanitized, it goes right back into my penguin 200.
 
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