Quarantine Tank???

[DEVIANT NATION]

I am wanting to get some new fish but want to do everything right (since I have made the mistake of introducing ick to my tank before and it was not fun) So I spent yesterday setting up a 55 gallon tank as a quarantine tank. I took water out of my current tank with fish in it and filled up the 55 gallon half way and then filled it the rest of the way with clean fresh water and added a sponge filter with the air stone to flow water through it.

My concern is with the sponge filter. It is brand new and has not been cycled before with the already cycled water from my current tank how long do I want to let the sponge filter cycle before I put fish in the tank?

 

[xraycer]

Beneficial bacteria needs a source of ammonia to exist and reproduce. How do you intend to supply the sponge with a constant supply of ammonia?

 

[xraycer]

I recommend you put the sponge into the existing fish tank so bb will grow on it. Then after about 6 weeks you can throw that into the qt.

 

[DEVIANT NATION]

Beneficial bacteria needs a source of ammonia to exist and reproduce. How do you intend to supply the sponge with a constant supply of ammonia?

Good question, do I need to just put one of my other fish in the tank now? What is the right way to do this? I am open to listening to any ideas. Sorry for my ignorance, Thanks.

 

[DEVIANT NATION]

I recommend you put the sponge into the existing fish tank so bb will grow on it. Then after about 6 weeks you can throw that into the qt.

Sorry with the last question I just saw this post. Is there any way to speed up the process??? I was hoping more for a 2-3 week type of thing. If not I can accept it but was hoping for faster because I have already found the fish I want to order and don't want them to go out of stock and have to find some others.

 

[Skurj]

You maybe ok with 2-3 weeks. Keep an eye on chemistry and worst case you have to change some water daily once you add fish.

 

[xraycer]

Sorry with the last question I just saw this post. Is there any way to speed up the process??? I was hoping more for a 2-3 week type of thing. If not I can accept it but was hoping for faster because I have already found the fish I want to order and don't want them to go out of stock and have to find some others.

I just don't think its going to be fully established in 2-3wks. You can go the 3wks route, if you're willing to do 30%-40% water changes daily until ammonia hits zero and nitrates starts appearing. GL

 

[DEVIANT NATION]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I am going to have to try and practice the art of patience.

 

[Jc1119]

Do you have a handful of media or gravel you can "borrow' from an existing tank? if so it'll cut your time down quite a bit. Ive also used "Stability" before with pretty good results.

I keep my qt alive with an algae wafer every day or so when empty.

 

[DEVIANT NATION]

I just don't think its going to be fully established in 2-3wks. You can go the 3wks route, if you're willing to do 30%-40% water changes daily until ammonia hits zero and nitrates starts appearing. GL

Do you have a handful of media or gravel you can "borrow' from an existing tank? if so it'll cut your time down quite a bit. Ive also used "Stability" before with pretty good results.

I keep my qt alive with an algae wafer every day or so when empty.

Alright, I have been doing some thinking. Let me know what you think, sometimes my thinking too much can be dangerous though. On my 150 gallon right now I have 2 canister filters and a separate pump that pumps through a fluidized sand bed filter and a uv sterilizer. In that tank I have 4 small datnoids 3-4 inches and about a 9 inch silver arowana. Do you think that tank could stand to go without one of the canister filters for a few weeks while I used that one on the quarantine tank. Just an option I thought of don't know if that is a good or bad idea?

Or I could take a couple scoops of sand out of my current tank and put in the quarantine?

Or I could probably take some media out of one of my canister filters and put in the quarantine tank. But how to do that correctly is the question because I don't have a spare canister filter not in use, so how would you keep good water flow over the media? i do have a power head but it is pretty powerful so I don't think I could use that with the new young fish when I get them.

I also have algae wafers I can put in at any time if that would help anything.

I can do any of these, all of these, or none of these, whatever works best. These are the options I have to work with right now. What do you guys think?