QT tank question

BeTreyed · Apr 7, 2021

Those of you with QT tanks, are these set up and running at all times for you? Or do you set it up and get it cycling when anticipating buying a new fish or a few new fish?

Jay Hemdal · Apr 7, 2021

BeTreyed said:
Those of you with QT tanks, are these set up and running at all times for you? Or do you set it up and get it cycling when anticipating buying a new fish or a few new fish?

I keep all of my QT running all of the time. Unless they had an unresolved disease, then I sterilize them. I either keep a hardy fish in them during the off time, or I feed the bacteria with some fish food. I like multiple options ready to go at a moments notice without having to worry about ammonia issues.
Another way that works is to tear the QT down between getting fish, but run sponge filters in your DTs sump...then use those as instant biofilter s when you set the QT back up again.

Jay

BeTreyed · Apr 7, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
I keep all of my QT running all of the time. Unless they had an unresolved disease, then I sterilize them. I either keep a hardy fish in them during the off time, or I feed the bacteria with some fish food. I like multiple options ready to go at a moments notice without having to worry about ammonia issues.
Another way that works is to tear the QT down between getting fish, but run sponge filters in your DTs sump...then use those as instant biofilter s when you set the QT back up again.

Jay

I like the sponge in the sump idea, I had read that somewhere before. The only question I have about that, though, would that be something like a filter sock or external canister filter where it becomes a nutrient bomb in your tank and you want to change and clean it frequently or no?

kvosstra · Apr 20, 2021

jumping here for hopefully a relevant question.
I'm on day 14 of copper at therapeutic levels (1st tank) - another sterile tank (2nd tank) is ready for the fish. I want to keep the 1st tank up and running, but need to drop this back down to 1.0 ppm copper, as I have new fish coming in shortly. Since I have new fish coming in (I know they have ich, its from an existing tank), shoudl I just do enough water change to get the copper down lower? Should I sterilize the tank? Or wait another few weeks at therapeutic copper levels before adding fish to the 1st tank?

I guess what I'm asking is what is the best protocol to use when re-using a QT tank that will quickly have some new inhabitants.
Thanks!