qt questions

[tmkx3]

I have a tang that has ick. I guess I am gonna go hypo. I have a 55g I can use but It isn't set-up yet. I have an hob on the main but It has only been there a month. I am concerned about water qualty in the qt due to no biological filter. I have also read about ph problems during hypo. Is this because of ammonia spikes? I am considering doing the treatment in the main and removing the inverts and lr. My tank is 125g will the larger size help with water quality or will due to all the water changes the 55g be a better choice. I also have 2 perculas,3chromis,a coralbeauty and foxface.

 

[lion_crazz]

You might as well do hypo in the main tank, since the ich is in the main tank. Otherwise, you would have to take all the fish in your display and QT them in the 55. That will be tough to catch all those fish without messing up the rocks anyway.
I would set the QT up, cycle it, add a cheap hang on the back biowheeel filter, and then put the live rock and inverts in. If you don't cycle it, you will probably kill your inverts.

 

[tmkx3]

If I cycle the qt won't that take a month or longer? Won't the lr already have enough bacteria to maintain the inverts? I have 150lbs of fully cured rock. This is what I have been using for a biological filter in my main tank. All I run is a protien skimmer and a uv sterilizer.

 

[lion_crazz]

Well, yes, this would prevent a cycle in your QT, but now your dillemma is that you will cycle the main tank if you remove the live rock which is your biological filtration. Without biological filtration, the ammonia will spike and just continue to spike because there is not enough bacteria available to convert it into nitrites and then into nitrates.

 

[tmkx3]

yea I know that is what my problem is. Will It be easier to maintain the water quality in the main tank because of the more volume of water? Or will it be easier in the 55 because of less water to change? :notsure:

 

[yimmy]

This is what I did for my QT tank in my EMG situation. Just with me it was easier, my display tank is 95gal and my QT tank was a 10 gal ( had 2 QT jawfish for finrot). I took a piece of LR from my main tank. I then filled my QT tank 80% tank water 20% new water. I only had a Power head running in the tank and I just did water changes a lot. The thing I don't is if the filter media needs to be "cycled" and have bacteria on it, if you can put a sterile filter onto a cycled tank and not get a recycycle then I would do that. If it would have to cycle I would recommend trying a sterile tank, meaning having nothing that can contain biological bacteria, hence just the tank, a powerhead and a PVC pipe. and do daily waterchanges of vacuming out the uneaten food and such. I would ook in the QT thread for more options, hope this helps.
Jimmy

 

[yimmy]

I just read your last post and in the main tank it would be easier because you wouldn't have to move all the fish and you be "sterilizing" the whole tank, a shrimp is much easier to move then a tang. The fish also won't get stressed from going to a new home. Thats the approach I would take and in the thread I just posted that would be a way you could cycle the other tank. Good Luck
Jimmy

 

[92protruck]

IMO, the 55 will be easier...less water to change to get to hypo. A 55 is still big and will be a pain but easier than the 125. The pH issues are from adding straight RO/DI water to bring down salinty not ammonia. I like to buffer the RO/DI before adding to the QT. I killed all my fish in hypo due to pH crash so I wouldn't listen me!