Cycling a QT tank?

muckworm

Member
I just noticed last night what appears to be ich on one of my clowns. I am going out today to buy a QT tank. My question is if I am supposed to cycle it first? I have 2 clowns and a firefish goby. Should I treat all four since only one of them has it? what do I use for an effective biological filter?
 

muckworm

Member
OK, I just read Beths sticky so that answer most of my questions... if I use water and a little bit of sand from my main tank, can I add my fish to the QT tank almost immediately? And I still want to know if I should QT all my fish?
 
J

jessicarabit

Guest
I would recommend you get a solution (biological starter) that can cycle your tank faster. They even have 24 hr. ones....I would test, test, test, because I would still be concern. If you have any media from you mail tank (bio balls, sponges, floss) add that to whatever filter you get (I have & recommend esp. 4 a QT Aqua Clear) where the water can pass through it. If you do indeed have Ich, it is passed down to most likely all your community! SRRY! Have you heard of hypo??? That is a 'natural' & 'easier' way of ridding urself of you Ich.
What do you have in your main tank??? Inverts, coral, LR, LS??? Do you have a test kit??? I will try & reply to you as much as possible today & help you go through something I have & made it through successfully:)
 

muckworm

Member
Thanks jess, I have heard of the hypo salinity method and plan on using it... Im pretty sure I know what to do... My main tank has various inverts, LR, LS and a red pipe organ coral.... so using that is out of the question... if I put in a small peice of LR, do you think that will do the trick? ...will the bacteria on the LR be killed when I lower the salinity to 1.009?
 

marinerock

Member
HI MUCK........
I JUST WENT THROUGH THIS WITH BETH.....
GO TO THE POST THAT SAYS....IN THIS FORUM....
"MODS....MARACYN TREATMENT"....AND READ BETHS LAST POST TO ME....
BASICALLY, PLACE A PIECE OF THE NEW FILTER PAD OR WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING TO USE FOR THE QT FILTER....
INTO THE MAIN DISPLAY TANK OR WET/DRY TO START THE BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION ON THE NEW PAD....
IF YOU NEED MORE INFO....
LET ME KNOW....
REGARDS...
MARINEROCK
 

marinerock

Member
MUCK...
ALSO, BEEN THROUGH THE ICK THING NOT LONG AGO....
WHAT I DID WAS....HYPOSALINITY AND TREATED THE TANK WITH
"MARDEL COPPER SAFE" ... THIS IS CHELATED COPPER AND
WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE SAFEST COPPER TO USE....APPARENTLY ONLY STAYS "ACTIVE" IN THE TANK FOR 30 DAYS.....
HOWEVER, YOU MUST GET A GOOD COPPER TEST KIT....
THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF FOR CHELATED COPPER IS CALLED....."KORDON AQUATRU CHELATED COPPER TEST KIT"
IT WORKED REAL GOOD FOR ME.....
GOOD LUCK...
REGARDS...
MARINEROCK
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Hyposalinity is the best treatment for ich. Safe for fish, non toxic, etc. Cooper works as well, but it is a toxic metal to both fish as well as the parasite. It should only be used when no better treatment is available, which is not the case with ich.
Yes, you will need to hypo all fish as ich is highly contagious. Also, the ich will remain in the tank if you don't remove the parasites' "host", which is the fish, for at least a month. Thus, all fish must be hypo-ed.
The procedures mentioned for setting up a QT will give your QT a kick-start, however, the biofilter will be very weak. Feed your fish sparingly, vacuum up all uneaten foods. Any filter pads/media you use, place in your main tank so that it can get saturated with nitrifying bacteria. You will need to test your QT daily for ammonia and nitrite. The first 2 days in QT will likely not be a problem, as you will be doing mass water changes to drop the SG to hypo levels. However, after that, you will need to really pay attention to your tank's cycle. Do not use a swing arm hydrometer for hypo. They are so inaccurate that they probably shouldn’t even be used for any reason at all. If you do not have a refractormeter or a salinity monitor [best choices, and should be on your “next to get” list of equipment if you don’t already have one] then use a high quality glass hydrometer.
Water circulation and water quality in the hospital tank is just as important as the treatment itself.
Also, offer your fish garlic soaked food while they are being treated.
 
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