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I have probably a silly question. Do you have to let your quaratine or nursery tanks cycle? I only have one tank now, but do have frys that I wasn't planning on keeping. I have heard everyone mention about getting a quaratine tank, or a tank for the frys...but don't you have to let them cycle too?? How would you keep them cycled if you did too?

I am on my 25th day of cycling my 20g, it would take me FOREVER to get another tank cycled, especially if I got a disease and didnt want to use any of the water or gravel, etc to start a new tank. (As I am just getting over ich now)

Or is having a spare tank ready for such reasons just left for those who have the multiple tank syndrome?? lol

No, just get it out when needed, use some water from the main tank, put a small filter in the tank and take some media from the main tank.

I use ammonia removing dechlorinator in Q tanks, I also do 100% water changes every 2 days using the drip method with sick fish, I believe that with fish, as with everything else, good supportive nursing is the key to recovery.

cycling a tank with sick fish in it is not an option at all, and it would be inconvenient IMO to keep a tank cycled using pure ammonia

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Okay, so for sick fish or for fry, the tank doesn't need to be cycled? As long as I use substrate and possibly some of the water from my original tank? Is that what I am hearing? As long as you do more frequent water changes?

Makes sense then why everyone can set them up quickly. But still confused why I need to cycle my tank before adding more fish then. For example, what if the reason my fish got Ich was from stress due to my tank not being cycled. So if I quarantine them in a tank that has not cycled, how would that help? (My whole tank of 3 fish got ich, so it was pointless to quarantine, but Im just curious).

Sorry for all the questions, but I like to be all prepared in case something happens...even if I am okay now.

If you take filter media from main tank and aged water from the main tank, the hospital tank is cycled, that's if your main tank is cycled

If you take filter media from main tank and aged water from the main tank, the hospital tank is cycled, that's if your main tank is cycled

but that's not a terribly good idea if the QT's fish has open wounds or an infection you feel came from the main tank. For fry - it's perfect, as they will eventually probably join the main tank,

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I like to think that whoever designed marine life was thinking of it as basically an entertainment medium. That would explain some of the things down there, some of the unearthly biological contraptions

Sorry about that wasn't thinking straight, yes I agree with tiny Clanger.