When is your QT water ready for fish?

[Humblefish]

You might want to have some prime handy in case there is an ammonia spike once you get the new fish in.

Just don't mix it with meds (especially copper).

 

[lewis.maryann08]

If you use the water out of display tank will it be ready them?

 

[Humblefish]

If you use the water out of display tank will it be ready them?

Yes, so long as you are sure your DT is disease-free.

 

[lewis.maryann08]

It is I am just setting up so I can QT new fish to make sure no sickness

 

[john.m.cole3]

I never knew you could use DT water and the QT be cycled. I thought all nitrifying bac lived on hard surfaces.

what if I placed a sponge between baffles of my sump on my DT for 30 days or so. Then moved the sponge to my HOB on my QT and fill the QT with tank water after a WC, would that be considered an instant cycle? I have ammonium chloride from dr. Tims and an ammonia test kit from salifert. Also, will the sponge absorb coppersafe during the treatment period in the QT?

 

[Humblefish]

I never knew you could use DT water and the QT be cycled. I thought all nitrifying bac lived on hard surfaces.

To be clear, filling a QT with DT water will not instantly cycle the tank. There is not enough nitrifying bacteria found in the water to instantly do this - it takes time. It will start the cycling process, if bio-media such as a sponge or bio-wheel is present in the QT to house said bacteria.

what if I placed a sponge between baffles of my sump on my DT for 30 days or so. Then moved the sponge to my HOB on my QT and fill the QT with tank water after a WC, would that be considered an instant cycle? I have ammonium chloride from dr. Tims and an ammonia test kit from salifert. Also, will the sponge absorb coppersafe during the treatment period in the QT?

^^ This is the way to go. Seed your sponge down in the DT sump for 30 days. It's the same as adding a piece of dry rock to a mature tank. Alternatively, using a bacteria in a bottle product (such as Dr Tims) will instantly seed your sponge if you pour the bottle over the sponge and let it "stew" for 2-3 hours before turning the pump back on. This works because the nitrifying bacteria found in those bottles is heavily concentrated.

A sponge absorbs only a miniscule amount of copper & other medications.