Maintaining an empty, but cycled QT

[Nem0]

I just finished QT a clown with prazipro and metroplex. I ran carbon to get both out of the water and did a 50% WC. Now, the QT is completely empty (except heater, filter, PVC pipe). I am getting a new fish in a month or so and was wondering what I needed to do to keep the QT cycled.

1. can i take the heater out? without the heater water temp would be around 65-68*. would that kill the beneficial bacteria?
2. do i have to continue to ghost feed for the bacteria?
3. anything else i should be doing or not doing to keep the QT cycled?

 

[Peach02]

I just finished QT a clown with prazipro and metroplex. I ran carbon to get both out of the water and did a 50% WC. Now, the QT is completely empty (except heater, filter, PVC pipe). I am getting a new fish in a month or so and was wondering what I needed to do to keep the QT cycled.

1. can i take the heater out? without the heater water temp would be around 65-68*. would that kill the beneficial bacteria?
2. do i have to continue to ghost feed for the bacteria?
3. anything else i should be doing or not doing to keep the QT cycled?

In quarantine most medicines will kill the bacteria so I wouldn’t worry about them much, with the heater I’d say take it out if you want but put it back in a few days before you put your new fish in, not sure if all water should be replaced with dosing copper I’m not too knowledgeable on that

 

[Nem0]

In quarantine most medicines will kill the bacteria so I wouldn’t worry about them much, with the heater I’d say take it out if you want but put it back in a few days before you put your new fish in, not sure if all water should be replaced with dosing copper I’m not too knowledgeable on that

sounds good, i'll probably just keep it running without a heater and dose stability/biospira a couple days before i pick up the fish.

 

[Peach02]

sounds good, you got a build thread?

sounds good, i'll probably just keep it running without a heater and dose stability/biospira a couple days before i pick up the fish.

 

[Nem0]

sounds good, you got a build thread?

negative, i wish i had one from when i started because I did a bunch of small little mods / DIY that i would have liked to share. i joined r2r right when i was starting my build and didnt know about the build thread lol

 

[Peach02]

negative, i wish i had one from when i started because I did a bunch of small little mods / DIY that i would have liked to share. i joined r2r right when i was starting my build and didnt know about the build thread lol

You could take photos if you want and it’s never too late to start one

 

[Tastee]

I run Poly Filter in my QT unless I am dosing medications as it is very good at adsorbing lots of compounds we don’t want in our tanks. When I want to keep it running empty I leave it in and put a fresh small piece in my DT sump. When I fire it up again I dispose of the Poly Filter in the QT and replace it with the new seeded piece from the DT sump.

You can also move live rock or coral skeletons between the QT and DT sump but you can only take them back to the DT sump if you are certain they are not compromised. The safest course is to only move from DT sump to QT and not back. I am yet to move some back to the DT sump but may do so in future. Or I may just keep them for the QT only or recycle them in my FW tank.