help! How to cycle a QT?

[timsedwards]

Hi Guys,
I am setting up a QT today, have posted in disease forum and read Beth's great article but people dont respond quick enough! LOL.
I am going to do a 10% standard water change in my main tank to try and get my trates down, can I put that 10% of water in my new QT and mix with ready saltwater to fill up the tank? The main issue is what do i use to cycle the tank? Although i think i have a bout of ich in my tank at the moment, i am treating them with garlic and reef safe treatement at the moment as I think putting them into a new QT at the moment is more of a risk.Shall I use liquid cycle?
Thanks for all your help,
Tim.

 

[newreefers]

If you need the qt now, just do water changes daily so it won't cycle. sounds like you can't wait weeks for it.

 

[timsedwards]

Well I dont really have weeks no, not in an ideal world, but surely by doing lots of water changes I am taking the copper sulphate or whatever I would you to treat them out of the water? I find it more of a risk to be honest, I would prefer to keep them in the tank and treat them there with non-copper based medication which I have (Kents RX-P).
So baring in mind I want to cycle it properly or so over 3-4 weeks, what is the best way to do it?
All the best,
Tim.

 

[newreefers]

for ich, you don't use meds, you do hypo, so wter changes won't hurt anything.
to cycle a tank, throw a raw shrimp in there for a few days and then remove it and the tank will cycle.

 

[demosthenes]

If you want a QT tank that's always ready for fish, keep a sponge filter running in the sump of your main tank, then simply transfer it when you need to. Also, I have always used my QT tank for every new fish I add, and for every single one, I use Hypo right off the bat. By employing Hypo from the beginning, aquarists can eliminate a number of diseases from ever REACHING our tanks. For example, Hypo kills the following diseases:

• Cryptocaryon irritans Ich
  [*]Uronema marinum
  Brooklynella hostilis Anemonefish Disease
  Monogenetic Trematodes

 

[timsedwards]

I dont have a sump because it really isnt practical because it would ahve to go below my tank
I will use the QT for all my new inmates when it is up and running.
Can you please read my other post and help me?
All the best,
Tim.

 

[demosthenes]

I would do the WC as you stated, and use that water to start up the QT tank, and let it cycle using a Raw Shrimp. I would also do what you said, by keeping the fish in the Main Tank and supplementing their diets with Garlic. IME the Garlic will only keep the Ich at bay, and cannot in any way eradicate it. So I would keep feeding with garlic until you're QT tank is cycled, and then use the Hypo treatment on all of your fish. Good luck.

 

[radioactive]

I do water changes daily and use amquel if the ammonia starts to rise . I will be cycling my QT after i get the lemon peel back to a display tank ....

 

[timsedwards]

Demosthenes
Yes that is what I am intending to do! Im glad someone else recommends it for my situation. Do you think I should use RX-P? It claims to eradicate ich, cant do any harm?
When I do use hypo, can I do all three fish at once? How long does the process take?
Anyone have any links to good info on hypo other than Beths in the disease forum?
All the best,
Tim.

 

[demosthenes]

I would drop the specific gravity to around 1.010 or 1.011 for a period of 10-14 days. However, if the fish seem abnormally stressed, as you seem to imply, then I would first try it at 1.014 for around 7 days. Be sure to drop the specific gravity over a long period of time, and raise it back to normal over a period twice as long. Good luck!

 

[bdhough]

Garlic does work for ich. I've seen it work but some fish may simply not be strong enough to resist ich with just garlic.... Keep that in mind. Either way it is a good guard against it.

 

[timsedwards]

See my post in disease forum
All the best,
Tim.