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The tank I currently use as my QT tank at some point this year, will become another community tank. So I'm thinking of buying a small tank that I only use for when I need to medicate or for QT new stock.

Do I have to have this tank set up & running all the time, even with no fishy residents, just waiting around for sick fishies. And if no fishy residents, there'd be no waste to create the good bacteria???

Can I just have an empty tank sitting around, ready to start up & run whenever I need to QT, or would this not work at all, due to lack of good bacteria??

Cheers
TW

Well, in my experience trying to medicate fish in an uncycled state is a bad idea because the poor water conditions will make the fish worse. Usually I keep my qt tank running and then when I need to medicate a fish I will adjust the water values in it so that the fish is stressed as little as possible. I do keep a 2.5g tank for salt baths that is not setup because the water is changed every half hour.

Thanks mrwizerd

Ok, that's what I thought. But even if its up & running 24/7, if no resident fishes, doesn't that still mean there's nothing to keep the good bacteria there.

Should I keep a couple of danios permanently in the QT, to keep it cycled. But then, that would mean the danios would be medicated in times of sickness too?

Cheers
TW

Well, if its a given that your fishkeeping skills are good, you wont need to move the danios often, and when you need to strip down the qt tank after use you can cycle it chemically, and then put the danios in to keep it constant. You dont have to use the danios to start the cycle, just to keep it going.

I do the same with a few rainbows, hence not wishing to put them through a cycle, but a move or two a year is hardly fatal, especially when you start a new qt from the media , gravel, and water from a larger community tank. Its kind of all the same water so the shock is minimal.When the new fish or sick fish occur, the rainbows go into the main community, and back into the qt again after everything is dealt with and the tank recycled.

I keep a gourami in mine. He is good by himself and hardly notices when he is moved. But thats just me.

Thanks guys,

My main community tank has 2 divided filter containers. If I took the sponges & filter media from one of those compartments & put that in the QT tank, would that deplete the good bacteria from the community tank too much? It would still have one filter container with existing sponges & media and one filter container with new sponge & media.

Would that be ok? Not sure I want to take out any of my gravel from the community tank, but maybe a few rocks could also transfer to the QT.

Are you also saying that I transfer water across. When I do my weekly water change on the community, so instead of throwing that water out, I can put some of it in the new QT to cycle it ? ? ?

Cheers
TW

Yes you can take part of the media from one filter and put new filter media in the two empty spots I do that all the time, it wont depleate the bacteria it may cause a small cycle but nothing to worry about. What I do when I am starting a new tank is suck the gravel and put the dirty water in the new gravel. It contains bacteria and other such nasties and will speed up the cycle time. When I do it I notice that the ammonia will cycle out in a matter of days then it takes about a week to a week and a half for the nitrite to cycle out.

Thanks for the advice. Until last night this, was a hypothetical question & the QT tank under discussion was a future purchase. Last night, due to emergency action required, see guppy thread http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/28048.1.htm?1# I had to set up emergency QT tank - due to the need for not mixing meds. If you think I should move guppy from the uncycled tank into the medicated whitespot tank, can you pls let me know. I'm at work, so won't be able to do it until I get home.

Cheers
TW

Guppy's how many in a tank how large? IF there arnt that many in a large enough tank let them cycle it just keep an eye on the pollutants and do water changes when needed.

It's a tank I don't normally use. It's only 10 litres. Not cycled & only 1 guppy in there. He was in the community tank until last night. I'd been treating him in the community tank for what I thought was fin rot & I was wondering why no improvement. On 3 occasions last night, I watched another guppy attack & nip his tail quite badly. No wonder it wasn't healing. So, I moved him to this uncycled tank where I can treat him & hope his tail mends. He is all by himself. My other tank is currently being medicated for white spot & that's why the guppy couldn't go there (different meds, that say shouldn't be mixed).

I didn't think guppys were aggressive. I hope when his tail grows back, he does not get picked on again. He is a much smaller guppy than my other ones.

I didn't intend to use this tank at all & only use it now as an emergency - just so that he wouldn't be attached again while healing.

Thanks very much for your advice. I will watch the tank closely.

Cheers
TW

This afternoon, I purchased a 28 Litre (7.3G) tank to use as my QT tank & have transferred guppy there, to see if he'll grow his tail back when left in peace. The other tank seemed too small & filter didn't seem to be working properly.

Still not ideal - uncycled & as it's an under gravel filter, I couldn't transfer any filter media across. Added cycle and completely filled it with water from the community tank. Transferred a few plants & rocks, so hope he'll be ok. I guess its better than being attacked. I thought guppys were peaceful. Didn't think one guppy would fin nip another.

Cheers
TW

Yes they will to establish dominance for the purpose of mating rights. One guppy in a seven gallon tank should be ok, he doesn't produce a lot of waist so you should be ok. It will cycle the tank but may be a little slow as there wont be a huge hike in ammonia, but it will happen.

BTW this is my 300th post YAY hehe I couldn't help but to mention it I get excited over mile markers sometimes.

Congratulations on the 300th post. Good job to help out us newbies.

Thanks for the advice. Funny thing though, all my guppys are male - so there are no mating rights issues there.

I've started a separate thread in freshwater for suggestions about what fish could live permanently in this little tank to keep it cycled, once the guppy moves back to the community tank.http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/28079.1.htm?2#. If you have any suggestions, that would be great.

Cheers
TW