QT cycle problem

[hobbes]

I set up my first saltwater aquarium up back in early May. At the same time I also set up a QT tank. After a month, my display was completely cycled but for some reason I can not seem to get my Qt to cycle....I have nitrite reading through the roof. After learning about this website, I realized that I should use the water that was in my display for the QT when doing a partial water change.....so I did. At about this same time, I decided to get my first fish ( 2 tomato clowns, 1 yellow eye tang, and a flame angel). I went ahead and just put them in my display being that I had no other fish in there. Sure enough they got ich. After chasing them through live rock which was an experience in itself, I placed them in the QT. I read here about hyposalinity and planned on doing that but I had no idea how hard it is to find a refractometer in any of the fish stores. Desperate, I just used Quick cure, and well, they looked better atleast from the ich but they seemed very sluggish. That is when I did another water test, and once again the Nitrite was through the roof. What is wrong with my QT??? Because I did not want them to die, I placed them back in the display and they look great right now but I know that the ich is going to come back so I need to figure out what is wrong with my QT.
The QT is very simple:
10 gallon tank
heater
light
top fin 60 filter (came with my 55 gallon tank)
Any input would greatly be appreciated.

 

[elfdoctors]

Welcome to the Boards!
You probably overstocked your QT. A QT will have less fish-carrying capacity than a display as the bacteria populations have less surface area to populate. (The display would have substrate and live rock).
A new tank should also not be stocked rapidly. Usually add only 1 fish at a time to allow the bacteria which were established in the cycle to build up as the ammonia production goes up as you gradually add more fish.
You will not regret having your QT. It is more of a pain to tear apart a tank that has been established for a while (especially if there are lots of corals).
The only reliable treatments for ich are hyposalinity (preferred) and copper. Quick cure will inhibit the growth of ich at only 1 stage in its life cycle. It only occasionally will cure an outbreak.
BTW a 55 gallon tank is probably too small for a kole yellow eye tang. Most people recommend at least a 70 gallon tank for this fish.
I bought my refractometer on-line. The prices (and availability) will almost always beat the LFS. I use the LFS for convenience only. You can start hyposalinity and get your specific gravity down to ~1.015 while you wait for your refractometer to arrive.
Good Luck!

 

[hobbes]

After posting this thread I actually decided to go ahead and get a bigger QT (20g). I had thought about the overstocking too but the thing that I dont get is that I had only a trace of nitrate in the tank. It was my nitrite that was so bad and actually the ammonia was high too. Would that still be due to overstocking? And, the other thing that I still don't understand is, why did it never cycle the first time I placed the water in there? It was in there for a long time. My display tank went throught the cycle in just under a month (this was before i put live rock in there).
Also, since you mentioned the yellow tang being too small for 55, would that still be the case even if I dont place many more fish in there? All I plan on putting in there is a blenny and a star fish once I get better at this. At some point I want to convert this to a small mini reef, so I will not be putting many fish in there. But, that is down the line after I learn more.
I do plan on getting a refractometer soon on the web. Is there any that you recommend?
Thanks for the welcome.

 

[elfdoctors]

What ammonia source did you use to cycle your tank? You need something to rot in the tank to get the cycle established. It is possible that you are dealing with only a partially cycled tank. Some people use a cocktail shrimp. Another technique is to feed the tank as if there was a fish in it. Either way, the bacteria which break down nitrites don't build up their numbers unless there is something for them to eat.
Is it a yellow tang or a yellow eye tang? A yellow tang may do okay in a 55. From what I understand, the issue is as much to do with length of the tank as the volume. These fish love to swim around and are restricted in a smaller tank. I wish this website would post the minimum recommended tank sizes as well as maximum size in aquaria to help people make informed decision about the fish they will be getting. Some other websites have this information. Many of the descriptions only give useless information such as what is a coral or a goby. However, I have always loved the quality of the fish I have received from this website.
Make sure the refractometer is designed for saltwater aquaria. (There are others for different industries (e.g. honey, brewing, etc)). Also make sure it has ATC (automatic temperature conversion).

 

[hobbes]

I was using just flakes to cycle my tank. Was that benificial? Depending on whether or not my fish get ich again in the display tank, I will use live rock to cycle the QT. Once I get it cycled I will move the live rock to the display. Is that an okay plan? Hopefully, my fish will not get ich but I have a bad feeling that they will get it again. They were only in the QT for 12 days.
It is a yellow eye tang. He is my favorite fish in the tank right now. I would really hate to trade him in. Who knows, in a year from now I will probably get the itch to get a bigger tank anyways and convert this one into just a mini reef.
What do you think of the refractometer on this website? Is that one any good?

 

[elfdoctors]

Using flake food is fine. I think that you caused a mini-cycle when you added too many fish at a time.
I bought my refractometer before they started selling them on this site. I have nearly the identical model. I think it is a very good one. However, it seems like it has been out of stock for a while.
I used a swing arm and two glass hydrometers (they break easily) in my tanks before I got my refractometer. The refractometer is much nicer. You won't regret buying one.

 

[hobbes]

I am going to get a refractometer from the web. My fish, so far, have not shown any ich the past week in the display tank. As nice as it would be if they did not get it again but it is best I plan for it anyways.
I am cycling my 20 gallon QT right now with live rock that I just bought today ( I will put the live rock in the display at a later time).
Thanks for the help