Best sponge or internal filter for quarantine tank

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Nigelk8485

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 3, 2014
462
1
18
Louisville, KY
Like the title says, I have never used a sponge or internal filter. I bought a 30 gallon sterilite container today to use as a quarantine tank for fish I have coming in about two weeks. What filters should I look at? I'm going to have a uv hang on back filter as well to increase aeration but I'd like to rely on the sponge or internal filter mainly for mechanical and biological filtration. Since it's just a temporary tank I'm trying to stay relatively cheap.


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Isn't your main tank new, just became fully cycled, and has no fish in it yet?

If yes, why are you quarantining the new arrivals?

If you plan to set up a quarantine tank, you need to seed those filters that will be used for qt as well.
 
xraycer said:
Isn't your main tank new, just became fully cycled, and has no fish in it yet?

If yes, why are you quarantining the new arrivals?

If you plan to set up a quarantine tank, you need to seed those filters that will be used for qt as well.
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The main tank has fish in it now. The fish I was sent came with parasites and ich...so after that I've decided I'm quarantining everything before it gets added in there. And I was planning on either seeding with my small established tank I've had for awhile or using one of the recommended bottled bacteria just for the temporary setup. But I still have about three weeks before the new fish show up so I'm trying to get everything set up for quarantine so it'll be ready.


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Mudfrog said:
It will take a few weeks for the bacteria to establish on the sponge filter.
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Yeah I know. I have a hang on back filter I can go on and put on my main tank and I went with two day shipping on the sponge filter. The fish won't be here until mid January. If push comes to shove I can steal some filter media from my established small tank or some of the ceramic rings from my canister.


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Nigelk8485 said:
The main tank has fish in it now. The fish I was sent came with parasites and ich...so after that I've decided I'm quarantining everything before it gets added in there. And I was planning on either seeding with my small established tank I've had for awhile or using one of the recommended bottled bacteria just for the temporary setup. But I still have about three weeks before the new fish show up so I'm trying to get everything set up for quarantine so it'll be ready.


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Click to expand...

Nigelk8485 said:
I actually went ahead and ordered one of those, the number 3, along with an air pump earlier this morning while I was bored at work. Glad to see it mentioned.


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Click to expand...

3 weeks to seed a brand new sponge is cutting it extremely close
 
xraycer said:
3 weeks to seed a brand new sponge is cutting it extremely close
Click to expand...

So what would you recommend? I have the hang on back on my main tank right now to try to seed, I could take some of the media from my canister or from my betta tank to use in the quarantine tank, or I could try the bottled bacteria along with any of those methods.


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Nigelk8485 said:
So what would you recommend? I have the hang on back on my main tank right now to try to seed, I could take some of the media from my canister or from my betta tank to use in the quarantine tank, or I could try the bottled bacteria along with any of those methods.


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Click to expand...

I think you should start running your sponge filter in the main tank as soon as you get it. When the new fish arrive, switch the sponge over to the qt and add the HOB with as much of media from the main tank as it can hold. Check the water parameters every 24 hours. If the ammonia & nitrite are at 0 and nitrate is present after a few days, then you're qt is cycled and good to go. If its not cycled then you'll need to do about 30% daily water changes until tank is cycled. I've never used bottled bacteria so I can't comment nor recommend on it. GL
 
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