Oh no super blunder

[jpontier212]

I have been cleaning a new tank i just got for a QT. Pretty sweet deal for an old school 30 gallon tank for $20. Glass very thick it was used for a pair or bearded dragons. I was going over my list of things I'm going to need and i was thinking about a hob filter and sponge filters for biological bacteria and realized that my sponge filters are in the sump of the aquarium that i have that got leveled by brook. I don't believe i can use those filters until the fallow period is over which is about 60 days away. But here's the blunder, my parents and sisters have all ordered fishes for me for my birthday which is Friday and i figured i could be ready for them. I can't put them in the fallow tank and i can't put them in the qt without bacteria and the only other tank is my nano cube that's 24 gallon but already have 2 snowflake clowns in there. What can i do? Fishes are on their way probably by tomorrow afternoon. [emoji26]

 

[jpontier212]

@melypr1985 @jsker @Humblefish

 

[Ubans13]

You can istant cycle it. Not that big a deal. Put a filter pad in HOB filter. Get some instant cycle and watch you ammonia. You should be ok. I have do this alot with out an issue. ATM colony works great!

 

[jpontier212]

You can istant cycle it. Not that big a deal. Put a filter pad in HOB filter. Get some instant cycle and watch you ammonia. You should be ok. I have do this alot with out an issue. ATM colony works great!

Ok. I have to go hunting for the atm colony. I haven't seen it anywhere but online. Will prime work as well or no?

 

[Ubans13]

Prime is only a conditioner and helps with ammonia spikes. I get the ATM colony from amazon. 32oz bottle. Very easy to use. I add a little every day for the first 3 to 5 days to make sure I have no ammonia spikes. After that I go a week without a water change.

 

[jpontier212]

Prime is only a conditioner and helps with ammonia spikes. I get the ATM colony from amazon. 32oz bottle. Very easy to use. I add a little every day for the first 3 to 5 days to make sure I have no ammonia spikes. After that I go a week without a water change.

I could also but i have literally about 48 hrs before fish hit my doorstep. I need to find it locally or an alternative.

 

[Ubans13]

You can get two day shipping from amazon. Prob show up same time. Or use bio spira till the ATM colony shows up. Can get it at Petco.

 

[jsker]

Call me crazy, but this what I would do. I would do a big water change on the 24 cube like 12 gallons. I would drop the water change water into the 30 qt to seed the bio load and top off the rest with new water. Run you HOB and monitor the amonia. I would do this tomorrow. I would use the water from the 24 again to do the drip acclamation. Then drop the new kids into the qt.

 

[jpontier212]

Call me crazy, but this what I would do. I would do a big water change on the 24 cube like 12 gallons. I would drop the water change water into the 30 qt to seed the bio load and top off the rest with new water. Run you HOB and monitor the amonia. I would do this tomorrow. I would use the water from the 24 again to do the drip acclamation. Then drop the new kids into the qt.

Thank you. I'm going to do that tomorrow. You guys are awesome

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Treat it like an uncycled tank, because it won't be no more stable than one. How many fish do you have coming? Add Prime to the buy list or make sure you have a lot of extra saltwater made up ready to go for water changes.

 

[Humblefish]

Here are other "bacteria in a bottle" options: Bio-Spira, Seachem Stability or Dr Tim's Nitrifying Bacteria

Turn your QT filter off, and pour some bacteria into the chamber where the bio-media (sponge, ceramic rings, etc.) is. Allow 2-3 hrs for the bacteria to "settle" before turning the pump back on. You might need to do this every day for a few days to help get it going and also do it before you add any medications to the water.

 

[jpontier212]

Treat it like an uncycled tank, because it won't be no more stable than one. How many fish do you have coming? Add Prime to the buy list or make sure you have a lot of extra saltwater made up ready to go for water changes.

I believe 4 fishes but not 100%. My family is trying to keep it a surprise

 

[ReeferBob]

QT tank is fine uncycled. Just do water changes frequently and 20% or more. Test for ammonia!

I would do some more research on re-using that bearded dragon tank for fish. I read somewhere that once a tank is used for reptiles not to use it for fish anymore.

 

[ReeferBob]

I believe 4 fishes but not 100%. My family is trying to keep it a surprise

They mean well, but buying people saltwater fish as a surprise is not a good idea. Order of addition, tank mates, overall design of your animals all come into play. Perhaps gently suggest a gift-card to your local fish store? I can just see you getting 4 tangs and them all being dead in a week.

 

[jpontier212]

They mean well, but buying people saltwater fish as a surprise is not a good idea. Order of addition, tank mates, overall design of your animals all come into play. Perhaps gently suggest a gift-card to your local fish store? I can just see you getting 4 tangs and them all being dead in a week.

I have been snooping around around and found out that they are a small reef safe Angel of some sort, a clown of some sort, a goby of some sort and another fish but from what I'm told everything is compatible. I think they're trying to replace my old favorites which were a coral beauty, a maroon clown, an engineer goby and probably another kole tang

 

[Snuffy The Seal]

QT tank is fine uncycled. Just do water changes frequently and 20% or more. Test for ammonia!

I would do some more research on re-using that bearded dragon tank for fish. I read somewhere that once a tank is used for reptiles not to use it for fish anymore.

Like ReeferBob said, I wouldn't use a reptile tank for an aquarium as they are meant to hold reptiles not water.

 

[jpontier212]

Like ReeferBob said, I wouldn't use a reptile tank for an aquarium as they are meant to hold reptiles not water.

I think it was meant to be an aquarium originally. The glass is way too thick to be a terranium or a regular reptile tank but i will have to go with it for now

 

[Ubans13]

I have used a reptile aquarium. They are the same and will not affect anything.

 

[helen ann]

I would also suggest to be very careful with using a tank used to house bearded dragons, I have 3 bearded dragons currently housed in 2 separate 55g tanks .... If possible I would reach out to the owner of the tank to find out if any chemicals or other stuff that might have been used in the tank, below is just a couple things I have used in my tanks and I would be very cautious now to use tanks as a QT as this stuff could have leached into the silicon ...

Zoo Med Wipe Out Terrarium Cleaner
Natural Chemistry Healthy Habitat
Zoo Med Repti Calcium

 

[pdt7361]

You should be able to buy an instant cycle solution at any LFS...even Petco carries Biospira.