Which bottle bacteria for setting up a QT

[Cho's Reef]

As the title says. Which is the best the bottle bacteria for setting up a QT?

#fishmedic

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

As the title says. Which is the best the bottle bacteria for setting up a QT?

#fishmedic

Any.
Even better, put some extra small rocks or biomedia like Matrix in the sump, and move some to your QT when you need it.

 

[Jedi1199]

As the title says. Which is the best the bottle bacteria for setting up a QT?

#fishmedic

Why? Take your tank water on water change day and fill the QT tank 1/2 way. Top off with fresh SW and done.

 

[Reef.]

Fritz it’s good.

Be careful if using live rock etc as any medication you use may soak into the rock which can cause issues, later releasing into the water.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Why? Take your tank water on water change day and fill the QT tank 1/2 way. Top off with fresh SW and done.

Water contains VERY little beneficial bacteria

 

[Jedi1199]

Water contains VERY little beneficial bacteria

It has enough to jumpstart a QT tank.

 

[Reef.]

Why? Take your tank water on water change day and fill the QT tank 1/2 way. Top off with fresh SW and done.

That would be a very slow way to setup a qt tank, sounds like the op is after a fast method.

 

[Kfactor]

i always keep media in my sump at all times

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Fritz it’s good.

Be careful if using live rock etc as any medication you use may soak into the rock which can cause issues, later releasing into the water.

+1. Any rock or other biomedia you use in a quarantine or hospital tank should never be put back in the display

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

It has enough to jumpstart a QT tank.

No, not really.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

As the title says. Which is the best the bottle bacteria for setting up a QT?

#fishmedic

It also depends on how you plan to set up the qt. Will it be bare aside from a few pvc elbows or do you plan to keep actual rocks (sand is not recommended) in the tank? What type of filter will you be using? Remember that the less media in the system (including anything in the filter), the more often you will either need to do water changes or add more bacteria in order to reduce pollutants (ammonia).

 

[Jedi1199]

No, not really.

OK... what do I know?

A small fist sized rock has more bacterial colonies that you need to skip-cycle a tank instantly than any of those expensive bottled bac treatments.

Unless the OP is planning to add 20 fish to the QT at once, my method will work just fine.

 

[BirdFish5000]

Ignore the advice about using water change water. It accomplishes nothing.

I recommend Biospira. It's also useful to keep a few sponge filters in your sump; they'll accumulate bacteria over the months, and can then be used for a QT.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

OK... what do I know?

A small fist sized rock has more bacterial colonies that you need to skip-cycle a tank instantly than any of those expensive bottled bac treatments.

Unless the OP is planning to add 20 fish to the QT at once, my method will work just fine.

Yes, rock or other biomedia works very well!
What you suggested was to use water, which does not.

 

[Jedi1199]

What do you all think bottled bac is?

It is 99.5% WATER!! With just enough bacteria in it to do the job. It is like yeast used for baking. The majority of the living bacteria that was put in the bottle is dead by the time you get it home. The remaining live bacteria will reproduce at an approximate rate of 2x every 4-8 hours.

Same thing with tank water. Slightly slower reproduction rate, but same result and no cost.

If it was ME setting up the QT.. I would simply squeeze out a sponge from my filter into the QT tank and call it a day.

 

[Tamberav]

As the title says. Which is the best the bottle bacteria for setting up a QT?

#fishmedic

I use biospira. Not too pricey and works fast.

 

[LeftyReefer]

For quick cycling tanks, seems I've always had good luck with both Fritz and good old Bio-Spira. I've tried a bunch of them. Fritz or Bio Spira are what I use now to quick cycle my QT tank every time I set it up.

I use a few other bacteria products for other reasons.

Just used up the last of my PNS pro-Bio the other day. Need to order more.

 

[polyppal]

I use Fritzzyme 9, mostly because its a big bottle for cheap on amazon, but they all essentially do the same thing...

 

[polyppal]

For quick cycling tanks, seems I've always had good luck with both Fritz and good old Bio-Spira. I've tried a bunch of them. Fritz or Bio Spira are what I use now to quick cycle my QT tank every time I set it up.

I use a few other bacteria products for other reasons.

Just used up the last of my PNS pro-Bio the other day. Need to order more.

Combine them all together to make one all-powerful super bacteria

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

What do you all think bottled bac is?

It is 99.5% WATER!! With just enough bacteria in it to do the job. It is like yeast used for baking. The majority of the living bacteria that was put in the bottle is dead by the time you get it home. The remaining live bacteria will reproduce at an approximate rate of 2x every 4-8 hours.

Same thing with tank water. Slightly slower reproduction rate, but same result and no cost.

If it was ME setting up the QT.. I would simply squeeze out a sponge from my filter into the QT tank and call it a day.

And... Using a sponge filter is also different than using tank water.
I respectfully disagree that "The majority of the living bacteria that was put in the bottle is dead by the time you get it home."