Cycling QT Tank

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 21, 2015

I set up a GT tank about 3 weeks ago. Its 15 gallons. I mixed up my own RO water and added about 4 gallons of boxed ocean water. I added 3 pounds of cured live rock. My ammonia has been at .025 for a week and half. Yesterday I added live rock from a tank thats been established for years. My question is, in the past when I've added mature live rock, my tanks have pretty much cycled instantly so to speak. Is there anything else I could do to here? My tank is covered in pods and starfish from the live rock if that matters.

Adam Baggett · Mar 21, 2015

You can do a water change on your main tank then put that water in the QT.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 21, 2015

I don't have a main tank yet. Soon, but not yet. I've never had this happen before. The ammonia has been at .25 for a week and half.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

Anyone?

hejjo · Mar 22, 2015

Why do you have a qt tank but no display tank?

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

So I can begin conditioning a few small fish?

46gReef · Mar 22, 2015

Adding water from your DT would be pointless as there is basicay no beneficial bacteria that is free swimming in the water column. A QT doesn't need to be cycled as the point of one is to medicate fish if necessary. If you have a cycled QT and you then medicate you'll nuke a lot of your bacteria along with inverts that have conized in and on your LR. With a QT, while you have fish in there you should be doing daily water changes(25-%50%). Are youplanning on having a 3rd tank for treatment of necessary?

3dees · Mar 22, 2015

throw a raw shrimp in. let your lfs test your water to make sure your testing solution is good. live rock is usually not used in a qt. if you treat with copper you can't use it in a dt. with that small of a tank you can just do a wc every couple of days and not worry about a cycle.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

46gReef said:
Adding water from your DT would be pointless as there is basicay no beneficial bacteria that is free swimming in the water column. A QT doesn't need to be cycled as the point of one is to medicate fish if necessary. If you have a cycled QT and you then medicate you'll nuke a lot of your bacteria along with inverts that have conized in and on your LR. With a QT, while you have fish in there you should be doing daily water changes(25-%50%). Are youplanning on having a 3rd tank for treatment of necessary?

I will yes. If you take a look at a previous thread "replace glass or tank", you will see why I don't have a useable DT yet. The new one is "supposed" to be shipped tomorrow.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

3dees said:
throw a raw shrimp in. let your lfs test your water to make sure your testing solution is good. live rock is usually not used in a qt. if you treat with copper you can't use it in a dt. with that small of a tank you can just do a wc every couple of days and not worry about a cycle.

I have a new, API test kit for cycleing purposes. I bought a cheap one just to see if I had ammonia/nitrites. I do not plan on using copper as my LFS QT's there new live stock for 6 weeks before putting them out. If I ever need to use copper, I plan on taking the live rock out or setting up treatment tank separately.

46gReef · Mar 22, 2015

The fact that you have detectable ammonia means there isn't enough bacteria yet to convert it to nitrite. Adding a raw shrimp will do nothing except raise ammonia and I'm not sure why you would want to do that. You could get another kit or take it to a LFS to rule out test kit failure but this is where the patience kicks in, you have to let the bacteria colonize and do its job.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

That was my next question. Should I add more ammonia? If so, what should it read?

46gReef · Mar 22, 2015

IMO there is no need to add ammonia, at this point you just need to wait for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize/grow, right now there isn't enough to convert the present ammonia I to nitrite so why add more? Like I said in my previous post, you just have to be patient.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

46gReef said:
IMO there is no need to add ammonia, at this point you just need to wait for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize/grow, right now there isn't enough to convert the present ammonia I to nitrite so why add more? Like I said in my previous post, you just have to be patient.

I figured as much. I'm just confused. I added live rock from an established tank and it hasn't done anything as my previous experience.

46gReef · Mar 22, 2015

You just have to let the nitrifying bacteria colonize, sometimes it takes longer than others.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 22, 2015

Just tested. I now have a Nitrite reading of 3 PPM and ammonia is still .25.

Adam Baggett · Mar 23, 2015

I am sorry 46gReef you are incorrect. There are always free floating bacteria in the water column. Plus you are adding in Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate to get things going. I agree the QT does not need to be cycled like a regular tank but at this time this is not a real QT as he has no display tank at this time.

Breakthecycle2 · Mar 23, 2015

Not sure what you mean by not a real QT and why QT tanks do need to cycle like a regular tank.

Adam Baggett · Mar 23, 2015

OK we all have different opinions of what things are and how things go. The truth is no one is 100%, its just whats works for us. The reason I called it not a real QT because it is the only tank and currently there is no display tank, no insult was intended and I am sorry it that upset you. I see this as the main tank and future QT. I do not keep my QT tanks running all of the time, most of the time yes but I will drain them and clean them if they have been used, e.g. treating something with copper etc. also if I intend to visit my LFS which for me is 2 hours away I will set them back up with tank water from my main tank and I have 2 pieces of rock which I keep in my sump. In the fish QT I also have PVC pieces for things to hide, 50gal tank. In my coral QT 10 gal tank I just have the rock from the main tank sump.

A QT is not always use all of the time unless you have a massive tank and fish are always coming in and out. They typically get used only in emergency's or to treat illness or to bring in new live stock.

At the end of the day we all have different experience and what works for me might not work for you and the other way round. Example, I am just trying Mud in my sump for the first time, you will find lots of people that say it is fantastic and lots of people that hate it.