Quarantine tank setup question

[mrramsey]

Hi again,

I am picking up a small 10g tank, hood and filter today off craigslist for $15. I am going to use it as a temp housing for my tank remodel.

I want to leave it set up and running as a quarantine tank. Do I need to cycle this the same as a regular tank or how do you normally go about this?

For the move I will just be pumping the current aquarium water into it. I will not add any substrate to it but will put some of the old plastic plants in there for security.

I will be introducing new fish to the main tank in the weeks after the changeover so I will likely keep this running for a couple months.

[Stlouisfish]

Hi again,

I am picking up a small 10g tank, hood and filter today off craigslist for $15. I am going to use it as a temp housing for my tank remodel.

I want to leave it set up and running as a quarantine tank. Do I need to cycle this the same as a regular tank or how do you normally go about this?

For the move I will just be pumping the current aquarium water into it. I will not add any substrate to it but will put some of the old plastic plants in there for security.

I will be introducing new fish to the main tank in the weeks after the changeover so I will likely keep this running for a couple months.
Unless you already have a cycled filter to put on the 10gal then yes you need to cycle the tank. The filter you're getting with the tank won't have any living bacteria in it if it hasn't been hooked up for a long time. You could add pure ammonia to cycle it before putting fish in there. I don't know what your plan was.

Putting aquarium water into a QT won't cycle it - the bacteria lives primarily in the filter. And you are correct in that a QT doesn't need substrate

[Goes to 11!]

Here is the easiest thing to do - If applicable to your situation [I am not sure what filter you are running]

Take some of the media from your cycled filter and put it into the QT filter, This transplants a fully functional BB colony to the filter and the tank is immediately ready for stock.

The media that wont fit into the filter should go into the tank to insure that bb still has a food source and actually if you have an airstone or sponge filter that you could put under it to provide some flow and that would be better yet.

A sponge filter is highly recommended actually because after you have the remodel done you can simply leave it in the display tank all the time [Where it will become colonized with BB] and move it to the QT when required.

This eliminates the need to leave the Qt up and running all the time because you have a fully cycled sponge filter to move to QT when needed.

I hope that makes sense.
:22:
EDIT: As andrea mentioned there is no benefit to using old dirty water, New dechlored water is perfectly fine.

[mrramsey]

Well I managed to get a tank, filter, hood, and heater plus a few extras for the grand total of 20 bucks.

So for today I am just making a home for my fish while I swap out the substrate and will be using my current filter on the little tank. So no need to worry about cycling yet. That being said I want to set up the quarantine tank for up coming fish.

I have a new rena xp3 that is going on the existing tank along with my current filter. I assume that over time it will establish its own bb? Or should I do anything to help that along? The current filter is an Aqueon 55 that has 2 filter media cartridges in it along with their biological media grids. How can I use this to jump start the cycling on the QT?

@850 - are you saying to take one of the disposable media cartridges and place it in the QT over an airstone?

[Stlouisfish]

Yes - you take one of the media cartridges (from the Aqueon) that currently has BB on it and put it in the new filter to go on your QT-
after you're done using the Rena on the QT, you then transfer it (along with the media that it came with) onto your 55gal and let it operate there as a second filter until you need to use the QT again.

I hope I got all this right : )

[Goes to 11!]

Eww - Cartridges ... Ok.

First things first though because I am getting a bit confused>


So for today I am just making a home for my fish while I swap out the substrate and will be using my current filter on the little tank. So no need to worry about cycling yet. That being said I want to set up the quarantine tank for up coming fish.
Are there three tanks referenced above or two? Sorry but I am losing track of what you are trying to accomplish [I must need coffee :-P]. If you could lay it out succinctly for me one more time please, If I have it wrong below.

ATM I hope i have your intentions right in that you are using the 10 to temp hold stock during a [55]remodel and then it becomes a QT.

Do those cartridges contain carbon? If so dump it out. It's ineffective after a couple weeks anyway and you can replace it with ceramic biomedia that will house more BB. [But wait - 'biomedia grid' is that like a very course and stiff sponge? [I don't use your filter] If so THAT is your BB home.] Something like this (http://www.bigalspets.com/fish.html?cat=237). I run no carbon on a regular basis and many here do the same.

We will get to the airstone comment in a bit ok. And you have several options about how to cycle the rena.

You could:
[Fastest to slowest routes]
* Seed it with the BB pads/cartridge. [Except you still need them for the stocked tank]
* Cycle it fishless using any container of water you like - Even a rubbbermaid tub will do.
* Leave it on the stocked tank.

[mrramsey]

ATM I hope i have your intentions right in that you are using the 10 to temp hold stock during a [55]remodel and then it becomes a QT.


Yes that is correct... sorry for the confusion :11:

Ya the biomedia grid thing is just a rigid piece of plastic that doubles as a backer for the filter cartrigdes. I do have extra bio-start that go to the rena. BigAls shorted me one pack and when they replaced it they gave me an extra pack. Could I use those after emptying the carbon?

[mrramsey]

Here is a pic of the whisper 2 HOB i got with the tank. Its old but works. Since cartridges are hard to come by can I just use the sponge and drop in a few seeded bio-stars when they are ready?

http://mramsey.homeip.net/img/whisp2.jpg

Since it is a QT it really would not need much particulate filtration right?

[Indian Woods Angels]

I'm fairly certain that the whisper 2 is dimensionally the same filter cartridge as the aqueon filter cartridge. The easiest way to have an instant QT is to have an aqueon HOB filter with 2 cartridges and pull one when needed and put it on the QT. The QT filter will get tossed in trash when used as the QT stuff never gets put on any tank within the firewall. The problem a lot of people have is that they use a sponge or other filter in the QT, kill it with meds or sterilization techniques and then put the QT filter into their tanks to get a new cycle. That's a never do there. So when you need a new QT cycle just plop the cartridge in there and you are set, toss the frame and all of that into the junk and cleanse your hands well before you put them into any of your tanks.

[Goes to 11!]

I understand your point here.

I let mine dry completely out before returning them to recolonize but I have never had anything worse than ich come to QT town - so to speak.

IF I had something especially nasty [I don't shop at that store ;-P] I would simply pitch the sponge filter, They are cheap.

[mrramsey]

I'm fairly certain that the whisper 2 is dimensionally the same filter cartridge as the aqueon filter cartridge. The easiest way to have an instant QT is to have an aqueon HOB filter with 2 cartridges and pull one when needed and put it on the QT.

I tried the idea using the aqueon filter in the whisper 2 and it was just a bit too wide however the plastic frame is flexible enough to all it to bow just enough to fit. That should make due and when I need it I will just pull one of the old cartridges from the aqueon to put into the QT.

[Cliff]

Another option is placing a sponge filter in your main tank and giving it 5 ot 6 weeks to become seeded. Then you can just move that sponge filter over to your QT tank when needed

I prefer that approach a little better as you can reduce the O2 levels in a QT tank when you place meds in the tank. Using the sponge filter will help keep the O2 levels higher to reduce the effects on the O2 from the meds

If I have to use meds in the QT tank to treat something, I won't put it back in the main tank. I'll just toss it out and buy a new sponge. But that is my personal perferance tho. A good cleaning and letting it completely try out shoud do the trick as well

[Indian Woods Angels]

Clip the supports that are between the ribs of the frame for the pad and they will slip in easier. Just use the disposable filter sleeves and keep the interior sponge assembly in the QT. I do this on my QT.

[mrramsey]

Clip the supports that are between the ribs of the frame for the pad and they will slip in easier. Just use the disposable filter sleeves and keep the interior sponge assembly in the QT. I do this on my QT.

Ah good idea! thumbs2:

[Lady Hobbs]

The only problem keeping a quarantine going is that it will need fish that has to be moved out every time you want to use it for what is intended.
Quarantine tanks are generally kept as bare bottom tanks and used simply for that purpose.

If you add seeded bacteria to it or even a seeded filter, the bacteria will simply die off with nothing in the tank to keep the bacteria fed. It is so much easier to run a sponge filter on your main tank, and when you want to use the quarantine to simply move the sponge filter. Instant cycle.

I have not read all the other posts here so sorry if I have repeated someone else. If you already moved seeded material into this tank, it will simply die off and not be helpful to you.

[mrramsey]

Its all good Lady Hobbs! I really will just keep it going for the next month or two as introduce new stock to the aquarium right now I just have my current stock in there but should be moving them into the tank later today.