Setting Up a QT Tank

[DrgRcr]

Now that I have a 10g to set up as a QT, I have a question about adding the established media. I have pieces of pond sponge in a penguin 350 on my main tank. They have been in there 2 weeks and I would only use one. I also have a cannister filter on the main tank. In your opinion, would the sponges have enough beneficial bacteria in them to cycle the QT tank? I have an AC30 for the QT to add them into. I have mech rings and biomax in the cannister also. Would it be OK to take a bit of that too?

 

[Paladinpress]

Not sure how much you would get after only 2 weeks in the main tank. What will you keep in the QT to keep ammonia going after you add the media?

 

[Wisegy84]

I think that unless you are planning on keeping something in the QT tank to keep the bacteria fed you are better off only adding the established media when you need to set the tank up. But I'm not sure what you could keep in there to keep the bacteria going that wouldn't be affected by adding a sick fish at some point.

 

[wannabefishguru]

QT per you request

set up another tank with little gravel, maybe a hiding spot and heater, temp stick and filter

cycle tank

feed tank fish food every once in a while to maintain bacteria

never use the qt filter on you main tank and always clean up after a sick fish, including new filter.

 

[wannabefishguru]

qt tank per my way

scenario
main tank sick fish, i need to quarentine it, my main tank also supports the main tank filter and another filter unit that matches the qt filter unit (never leaves main tank) and media for the qt tank filter unit(media is well establised and maintained just like the main tank filter).

qt tank
small but usable to fish. set up like a normal tank but with little or without gravel hiding spot heater, temp stick, filter that matches the qt filter on the main tank, qt tank filled with dechlorinated water or good quality used tank water, filter on qt tank running for circulation and heater running. now before i put sick fish in i will take the qt filter media not filter unit that has been in the main tank in place in the the qt filter unit that is on the qt tank, whala now the qt tank has biological filtering. place new filter in qt filter unit on main tank so that it can start being colonized and can be transfered in case it needs to be used. now we can put ill fish in qt tank and medicate.

when ill fish is healthy, acclimat and return to main tank, throw away qt filter media that is on the qt tank, strip tank down and thuroughly clean it out, set it up again ready for the next time.