Maintaining a QT

[bbailey231]

I have read Beth's post on how to set up a QT...great post I might add

I am unclear about one thing though...how to maintain your QT.
The way I understand it, once your QT is cycled, you keep no type of live rock, live sand, or anything of that nature in it. Maybe some pvc for the fish to hide in or some fake stuff. So my question is this, do you just let it filter and run with nothing in it and do the appropriate water tests and water changes and that is it? I am confused because I wonder if after a while of filtering and such with nothing living in it will all the needed bacteria and stuff die off?
Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question, but I just want to make sure I do the QT RIGHT

 

[al mc]

The filter material in your HOB filter should have a nice colony of bacteria in it once it has cycled. This should help keep your nitrogen cycle going. However, most QT's are very small and the cultivated bacteria in the filter can not handle all the nitrogenous wastes. So, more frequent water changes than you might normally do on a large DT will probably be necessary to keep the QT inhabiatnts happy/healthy.

 

[92protruck]

you can simply feed fish food as if you had fish in it to keep the bacteria colony active, you can use the QT for all new corals and LR before going into the display, and I keep a couple of peppermint shrimp and a piece of live rock (I remove both when I use it for QT) in mine and feed them.

 

[bbailey231]

Originally Posted by 92ProTruck
you can simply feed fish food as if you had fish in it to keep the bacteria colony active, you can use the QT for all new corals and LR before going into the display, and I keep a couple of peppermint shrimp and a piece of live rock (I remove both when I use it for QT) in mine and feed them.
Great suggestion, thanks!!!!