QT tank questions

[crooper]

I have a 10 gallon tank that I used to use for freshwater sitting out in my garage. I want to use it for my QT tank for my 100 gallon. It has an Eclipse biowheel setup. What do I need to do to get it prepared for saltwater use? How do I clean it? Is soap bad? Do I start it with tank water and then do regular water changes? Do I need to do water changes if nothing is in it for a while?

 

[sinner's girl]

first 10gl is small, you won't be able to qt much in there.
Take it to the bathtub or outside, wash it with soap and water, rinse very well. Rinse the filter also.
The easier way would be to take 10gl from your main tank, the water will already be cycled.
Now, if you're using it just as a qt, then you could just set it up before you get a new fish with the water from your main tank. If you leave it up all time, yes, I'd still check the water and do water changes. I'd add a few small pieces of lr to the tank.
If the tank will be used as a hospital tank, then you'd want it up and running with perfect water all the time.
Do keep in mind that 10gl is small, you won't be able to put all your fish from the 100gl to the 10gl if something happens.

 

[aquapro_1]

NEVER USE SOAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boil some ro/di water & an algae pad & scrub. Air out. On an eclipse, if memory serves my right, it has a bio wheel? Change the filter pad/s and start cycling. May want to use live sand. Cheaper than rock.

 

[joker_ca]

DO NOT USE SOAP to clean out the tank just rinse it out really good with hot water, and you do have to cycle it even if you use water from your main tank
also dont use live rock in QT, if you have to medicate the water the carbonate calcium in the LR & SAND will absorb the medication making it useless to treat any infections, but you can use LR to cycle your tank but take it out when your done cycling and add some inert decorations or pvc works great

 

[crooper]

Thanks for the responses. I presently only have 2 fish, both about 1.5 inches long, so probably not a big deal. I plan to put my fish in there during my aquarium "remodel". So the cycled water in the tank will seed the biowheel with what it needs to do biological filtration?