Should I Cycle my quarantine tank?

[Yellow17165161]

Hi, so my cycle is almost complete in my display tank. I want to start off with 2 clownfish. I don’t have a quarantine yet, and not sure how to seed the filter material for the quarantine since my tank itself isn’t fully cycled. Can I do a quarantine tank without a biofilter and just do frequent water changes. Or can I just add the 2 clowns to the tank once it’s cycled, and then set up a quarantine for all future fish. I won’t have too many fish as it’s only a 32.5 gallon.

 

[TriggerFinger]

hi @Yellow17165161
You can use bottled bacteria and ammonia to start cycling the QT. It still needs time to cycle like the display. Others do big water changes in emergency QT set ups because they don’t have a choice. Putting the first fish in without QT defeats the purpose of the QT, don’cha think?

 

[rob taft]

This is what I would do in your situation: "Or can I just add the 2 clowns to the tank once it’s cycled, and then set up a quarantine for all future fish. I won’t have too many fish as it’s only a 32.5 gallon. "

 

[Yellow17165161]

So I was thinking to quarantine everything I get, but I’m in Canada and just realized that all types of medication is banned here. The only thing I can see available is stuff like melafix and malachite green. How would you do a quarantine without things like copper. I don’t think I can do the tank transfer method due to a lack of space

 

[Adam_M]

So I was thinking to quarantine everything I get, but I’m in Canada and just realized that all types of medication is banned here. The only thing I can see available is stuff like melafix and malachite green. How would you do a quarantine without things like copper. I don’t think I can do the tank transfer method due to a lack of space

Just do it as an observation system. If you end up with ich or something else, see if your LFS can help you out.

 

[Greg P]

As was mentioned above, if you're going to QT fish, you may as well do it with ALL of them.
Otherwise, there's no point in the future.

You can cycle your QT with liquid ammonia before adding fish to it. Use a HOB filter with sponges for a bacterial bed. There are products available from amazon.ca to help 'quick cycle' a tank. Look for Bio-Spira as it's the most readily available to us here in Canada.
Remember that you need to add some ammonia with the bio stuff as it needs a food source. And you'll need to perform a WC when the cycle is over as the Nitrate level will most likely be very high.
Get a Seachem Ammo Alert for the QT, and a Seachem Nitrate test kit.
The other items you'll need will be up to your process. Read the QT link below.

Copper Power Blue is available from amazon.ca and you can order a Hanna 702 tester if you need to medicate.

How To - Quarantine

How to Setup a Quarantine Tank (updated 4-6-2023) The following are the essentials: Aquarium (10-30 gallons seems to work for most people. A larger QT lets you house more fish and gives you more wiggle room when it comes to ammonia. A smaller QT is cheaper, easier to maintain and can be...

humble.fish

 

[Yellow17165161]

Thank you! I will get the copper power. I remembered I placed a small bag of ceramic rings in my aio filter area before I cycled it. I think I can use that to seed my quarantine.

 

[Greg P]

You can for sure use that bag of rings to help cycle your QT, but you will still need to add some form of ammonia source to get the bacteria up to a level that can handle the load in that tank you plan on using.
It's a good idea to look into some BioSpira, or plan on adding liquid ammonia for up to 1 month as the rings gather enough bacteria to process what you plan on adding to it.

Keep in mind, the smaller the space, the quicker the ammonia will become toxic, per volume.
Get that filter ready first.

 

[Rudefish]

Dr. Tim's One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria for Cycling Aquaria is a good source for seeding a tank. It is said that one can add fish soon after using. If order from his website, he will add the ammonia that you can use to treat the tank if requested. Not sure if others will supply the ammonia. I have personally used it for my QT.