Help with QT please

[JustinM]

I really appreciate the idea of a DIY diatom filter, but Im not going to buy one nor build one. I know I lack a lot of biological filtration so I am going to be testing multiple times a day for ammonia and feed just the bare minimum and do multiple water changes as needed. I will have 20 gallons mixed and heated at all times. If I can't get rid of an ammonia problem I will just put them back in the display untill the qt cycles properly.

My mandarin eats frozen food so I should be able to keep him fed. I just wasn't sure about their resistance. I will use the sponges I have and I got some of the bio spira. Fish are going in tonight. Thanks for all the input everyone.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I once was in a situation were I needed to house a 5 inch tuskfish, 4 inch powder brown, 6 inch fox face, axilspot hog fish and a halfblack angle. All I had available was a 40 breeder. I placed a very large new sponge filter along with a bottle of bio spira. Never saw a spike in ammonia and day two nitrites peaked at 10 ppm. Day 3 nitrites were undetectable and nitrates showed up. Since then ive used this method with countless fish and have never had an issue. Ive started systems with dry base rock and sand and have the tank stocked instantly.

Only two bacteria products will do this, instant ocean bio spira and Dr Tims one and only. They are the same product. Micro bact 7, seachem stability and the others along the line that claim to work in fresh or salt fail to work due to the fact they are spores from land bacteria.

Yes there is packaged bacteria you can use and may be it does work this well.

I generally think of them as not having the quantity needed, good as seed but not good enough for immediate use. I always plan ahead so I never have need for this type of product.

may be there was ammonia that your kit fails to detect and your fish did suffer, may be permanently.

 

[JustinM]

doh