QT Tank... few questions

[LGB76]

When I am setting up a QT tank, how do I get it cycled without having to go through the same process each time. If I were to put some ceramic rings in a filter sock in my DT while it is cycling and then transfer them to my QT and let it run for a few days would this be sufficient? If that would work, would I just put them in a HOB filter in the QT?

Or do I just do a 50% water change every day for 4 weeks (that will suck)

 

[wooden_reefer]

Conceptually the simplest way to view this is to ghost feed the QT; that is, pretend to feed about the greatest bioload you anticipate and do not put away the QT tank.

But I do not do this. I keep the biological filter medium in a separate small container and feed with a strong pulse of ammonia occasionally, once every two weeks, not small amounts daily. Bacteria will not die suddenly because of the lack of ammonia. Rinse with QT water before use. A container like this can be rather small.

The medium better not be rock, which is too bulky and unwieldy, and does not have the most surface area per apparant volume. I use sacks of crushed coral wrapped in well-stretched nylon, often.

I seldom need to do any WC during QT. The only chance for frequent WC is when an antibiotic that harms nitrification has to be used. If there is no external bacterial infection during QT, I generally need to do little WC for the entire duration of QT.

 

[DDon]

Cycling some media in the DT works great. Just a filter sponge for HOB filter will work.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Cycling some media in the DT works great. Just a filter sponge for HOB filter will work.

It does not work great.

This piggybacking method is good only in some situations, first is when the bioload in DT is very much greater than the intended bioload for QT, among other factors.

If your bioload in QT is small, piggybacking may appear to work but is less than ideal.

If the bioload in QT is large, piggybacking the DT will be entirely and obviously insufficient, and will lead to calamity.

It is far better to not raid the DT (may cause some mini-cycling in DT) and risk not having enough in QT.

The bacteria population is generally at equilibrium with the bioload, a cycled tank generally should not be raided this way. Only in an emergency might this be a resource.

Robustly cycled medium is NOT made by immersing in DT long enough, but by cycling in a separate container with pulses of ammonia strong enough to harm livestock.

There is advantage in having grossly more bacteria than needed in QT and allow the excess bacteria to be inactive and might even die off, not risking ammonia.