Qt cycle

[Reefer_madness78]

I need to setup qt/ht so I got a 10g tank and added 6g of dt water and 2g of fresh saltwater, along with a bag of ceramic bio media and sponge from dt (it was only in dt for maybe 2 weeks) and put in hob filter. I was also adding microbacter7 everyday. The ammonia went up the by the next day and has been hanging around at 1.0 I did a 1g water change but it hasn't helped. It's been 5 days. Should I just start over with fresh saltwater and no bio media? I need to put clowns in in the next few days.

 

[Ron Reefman]

With a 10g tank I would just do regular water changes with water from the DT. Why stress of cycling the QT? Any usefull bacteria will develope over time without your adding anything.

That's what I do as my QT (really just a temporary holding tank) get set up and taken down several times a year.

 

[Reefer_madness78]

With a 10g tank I would just do regular water changes with water from the DT. Why stress of cycling the QT? Any usefull bacteria will develope over time without your adding anything.

That's what I do as my QT (really just a temporary holding tank) get set up and taken down several times a year.

Why is the ammonia so high? I need to put fish in tomorrow or the next.

 

[Zenchi]

If you have to put fish in and you aren't planning on medicating the fish, you can use Seachem Prime as a bandaid until the tank cycles itself. I would also recommend an Ammonia Alert badge to keep tabs on it incase water changes are needed.

 

[Reefer_madness78]

If you have to put fish in and you aren't planning on medicating the fish, you can use Seachem Prime as a bandaid until the tank cycles itself. I would also recommend an Ammonia Alert badge to keep tabs on it incase water changes are needed.

I have two clowns I need to medicate. I just don't know why if I take water from dt that has 0 ammonia and put it in an empty tank, why did the ammonia shoot up?