QT and DT

[Bearkat1234]

Why do you have to cycle your main tank and not a Quarantine tank? How can your fish stay alive in a QT if you do not have to cycle and will die in a tank that must be cycled?

Is a Quarantine tank a must? Or can you be successful without?

 

[gone fishin]

IMO a QT is what separates long term hobbiest from a craigslist ad.

In a perfect world a QT would be cycled and stay running but, this is not really practical. I keep a sponge filter in my sump so if I need my QT I can set it up pretty quick. Also, my QT is small enough that water changes can keep things in check.

 

[JammyBirch]

I agree I don't get it, the QT house fish for longer than a few days which for me says you either keep it running and cycled forever or you stress the fish out when detritus causes an ammonia spike.

For me, a nano tank guy, a QT is not worth it... I can't keep big fish, I don't want to invest in a second system that would be comparable to my DT, but I also know I'm limited on the number and types of fish I can keep.

For these reasons I only by fish from a clean fish store, I drive 2.5 hours to go there, I only go for hardy type fish and I inspect them making sure they have been in the store tank for over 2weeks. The place I go puts the fish I want in a small acrylic box so I can check it out closely.

If I had a big system with big, exotic and expensive fish I'd run a QT for sure that would basically be a fully functioning nano tank, cycled.

 

[Bearkat1234]

cool deal.

yeah I have a 56g, wasnt sure if need a QT or not a little confused over it

 

[smmiller506]

You don't absolutely need a QT. Like /u/gone_fishin said, if you keep a sponge filter in an out-of-the-way location in your sump or your DT if you run a nano, the nitrifying bacteria will live in that sponge and when you place that in your QT, it automatically cycles that tank. It may take only a week to fully cycle a QT with this method. The whole reason a tank normally takes so long to cycle is because you are trying to develop those bacteria from scratch, but with the sponge filter, you have whole colonies already made.

 

[Atf22]

Go with the QT because if you don't you can lose an entire tank. It only takes 1 fish to infect it. Then, you have to look at an empty tank for 12 weeks while you wait for the ich to die.... your choice, but i'd recommend it

 

[firemountain]

Go with the QT because if you don't you can lose an entire tank. It only takes 1 fish to infect it. Then, you have to look at an empty tank for 12 weeks while you wait for the ich to die.... your choice, but i'd recommend it

+1. A QT is basically an extra means of security to keep your DT disease free. I would recommend one as well.

 

[Sn8kbyt]

+1. A QT is basically an extra means of security to keep your DT disease free. I would recommend one as well.

+1 I bought one of those 29 gallon complete systems with stand, heater, light, and top for like $199 on sale to use as a QT. I set it up like a mini full time system with rock and sand. I know everyone may not have the room but it has a small foot print and I keep a pair of clowns in it permanetly so even when not using it as a QT it looks like it is another tank in the house. My hospital tank on the other hand is never full (20L and kept in the basement) and I hope it never has to be.

 

[murdock84]

I'm new to this but my plan is to take cycled water and a sponge and some ceramic rings from my cycled tank and place them in a HOB filter on my QT. After having the fish in QT for 4 weeks, put the fish in the display tank and then empty the QT. Repeat the above for new fish. There will be some water changes in the QT during those 4 weeks with top offs with RODI.

 

[JammyBirch]

oops