quarantine tank for new loaches

[Feyna]

I seem to be full of questions.

So I filled my 5 gal, so as to season it for when I get a couple new clown loaches for my big guy.

But uh... Ok, I feel stupid for asking this. It says clowns need a fully cycled tank. I have a 10 gallon with 2 tetras and a betta. Could... I dunno, cycle the 5 gallon with the betta, or is that going to be harsh on the betta? I've had tanks for a few years now, but I still consider myself a newb. So, thanks in advance to all of you really informative people!

[Ashleigh]

Hi Feyna,

For cycling a little quarantine tank, all you need to do is take some filter media out of your established tanks and pop it in a small filter that you have for your 5g If you cycle it with your beta, it will take weeks/month, plus your putting the fish through unnecessary stress. When cycling, best to go down the fishless route
For future, if you just keep an extra little small filter on your larger main tanks, then you can just move that to your quarantine tank anytime you need it.


Ashleigh

[Feyna]

Oh, that's a neat idea. I can't add any media to the small tank's filter, since it's one of those... erm, ok, well, it came from a Walmart kit, long ago. It was cleaned, etc, but you know, the filter media is one of those drop-in filter things. I wish I'd have known this sooner, because I was hoping to get the new guys Monday or so... Should I wait? Or can I maybe cycle it with water from the tank they'll be going to? Would that even work?

[Ashleigh]

Ohh like an internal filter? Does it take sponges? If you have sponges in your other filter just pop some into it, cut it to fit-Ive done it may a time.


If its the ceramic filter media or similar that you have, you can usually put that in, Ive put ceramic media into filters that were marketed at sponge and it works just as well. You don't always need to use the make that the filter manufacture says to use, you can just modify your own You just need to make sure that it doesn't obstruct the filter or the media has a chance of being putted were the motor is.

Its not really possible to just use the water, you could chuck in some gravel from your established tank but Im not sure how efficient this is as I have never done it before, so may best wait until others comment


Ashleigh

[Feyna]

This:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... d=10291975
and this:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... d=10313129
is basically the type of filter I have for my 5 and 10 gal tanks. I used to (i.. a couple years back before I moved and put these tanks on standby until recently) change out the cartridge every so often, when it got "clogged" etc. I was recently told, on here actually, to just rinse the filter drop in, to preserve the good bacteria, and have noticed a marked difference in my survival rate of fish.

This is what is on the 5 gal, currently, that I'm trying to set up as the hospital tank. And another similar one for the 10 gal, which houses the betta and two tetras. The loaches are going into the 30 gal, which has a HOT Magnum.

That might be more information than needed for this question, but I figure it can't hurt.

I can't cut into or add/subtract anything to/from the filter, as they're pre-made. You just drop em in. The rough spongy part is only on the front; the back is that black plastic... grid kinda thing, for flow-through.

I wonder, then, if I can hang the hospital tank filter on the loach tank, let it cycle that water a day or two, and then hang it on the new tank another couple days? Or is that not enough time?


As a side-note, I'd like to eventually replace these filters, as the motor can burn out if they get clogged, and they're kinda cheap, but I'm highly surprised that these two that I currently have... have lasted this long! What I'd really like are the Tetra Whisper Internal filters. I used one on a turtle tank once, and it was so freakin awesome at keeping the tank clean, I was impressed.

[Ashleigh]

I see what you mean now, thats a slight problem Unfortunately cycling of a filter can take quite a while, up to a month in some cases. A few days is not enough time to cycle that filter. Unless you could get hold of some cycled media, I would be very wary of putting clowns into a tank with even just established gravel as its such a small volume to work with. I assume you can't get any media from the HOT Magnum?

Another option would be to move the beta and tetras to your 30g temporary, and take their filter for the quarantine tank, or just move them and use the 10g as the quarantine tank . Its not ideal, and I don't know what you have in your 30g so they may not get on and it might not be a possible option for you

Ashleigh

[loachmom]

Hi Feyna,

I have almost the same filter that you showed in the first link. It came with a plastic 5 gallon that I've used for a QT. If I were you, I'd put a new cartridge into the filter that you have for your 5 gal and then rip all the blue stuff off of the established cartridge from your ten gallon and stuff it behind the new cartridge in the 5 gal. I did this once, and the tank was instantly cycled.
You just have to have the water flowing around and through the established filter media.

I hope that makes sense.

[raecarrow]

What I did to start up my q-tank was to fill the tank 2/3 of the way up with water from the original tank. I then filled it up the rest of the way with prepped tap water and added a double dose of StressZyme and a dose of Prime. I also had a fresh filter and everything went fine. I have no gravel in my q-tank (only some flattened marbles for the fish to root through), two fake plants (in case my big momma fish had her babies) and a little bridge for fish to hide under if they wanted to. I had no problems with the levels in the water.

[Feyna]

The 30 currently has my one remaining big loach, and a big old angelfish. The 10 has the betta and the 2 tetras. The 5 I just set up, of course, and it's got nothing in it.

I don't want to rip up the 10's filter media, since it's keeping that tank good. Edit to mention, the last time I switched filter inserts in the 10 gal, I had fish die. D: I can take stuff out of the HOT Magnum, but unsure of where to put it for the 5. You can't really put these filter cartridges back together once you tear into them.

I like the idea of using mostly water from the established tank, or the idea of hanging the filter itself on there. I'm going to wait a bit, then, and try to get something going. I'm outta test strips, so I gotta grab those too.

[Feyna]

Hi folks-

I'm going to try giving the new tank the 10 gals filter cartridge, and letting the 10 have the newer cartridge. The new tank's filter is currently cycling in the big 30 loach tank, so as to get something going in there. I'm definitely going to try borrowed material for this fishless cycle, before I chance putting the lovely loaches in. I'd hate myself for killing more fish.

ETA I found that there is a sliver of space between the filter cartridge, and the back wall of the filter box itself. I was able to spoon out some media from my HOT magnum, and drop it directly into the little space I found. Because the filter cartridge drops directly in, it blocks the carbon media from flowing back out. The filter drop in sits behind both the intake motor pump area (a lil cyclindrical space) and the outflow area, and the little space I found is behind that. Since I only take the drop in out to rinse it, I can easily turn off the filter, tilt it back a bit to keep the carbon from flowing out, rinse my drop in, and put it back.

Now my only question is, since I've added some used media (albeit only about 2 tablespoonsful), should I leave it on the big tank to season, or go put it back on the hospital tank?

Thanks so much.

[raecarrow]

It wouldn't hurt. any buffering time you can add could be beneficial in the long run. You can go without doing that, but even letting it "season" overnight would probably be a good idea.

[Feyna]

That's what I was thinking. Nice to know I'm starting to get this stuff. When I started having fish back in college, I didn't know the internet, and I certainly didn't have anyone to ask, as our LFS were both bad, and dying out.

I'm excited, now, though. I also found liveaquaria.com, which has cheaper prices on clown loaches than PetSmart, and encourages me to wait a bit longer to buy the clowns, since I'll need a paycheck before I can payout. XD I'm just eager to see some new clowns, as I've really gotten to like this interesting fish.

[raecarrow]

That is a sign of a good LFS. My LFS has been having trouble with its shipments of guppies and the owner refuses to sell them until he knows they are healthy (he usually doses them for a week or two before selling them). They also didn't let me get worked up in a frenzy over some bengal and chain loaches they got in and take them home because they know I don't have the appropriate amount of tank space for the cute little buggers. They reassured me that they will eventually get more of these guys in once I do have larger tanks.

[Feyna]

That is a sign of a good LFS. My LFS has been having trouble with its shipments of guppies and the owner refuses to sell them until he knows they are healthy (he usually doses them for a week or two before selling them). They also didn't let me get worked up in a frenzy over some bengal and chain loaches they got in and take them home because they know I don't have the appropriate amount of tank space for the cute little buggers. They reassured me that they will eventually get more of these guys in once I do have larger tanks.

The PetSmart I worked at was newer, and we had better employees than many of the ones I had been to as a customer. I was trained by these guys to recommend a tank over a bowl for any kind of fish. We could refuse to sell a fish if someone didn't seem interested in their care or tank size requirements. It's the one pet store I'll still go to, because I know the people working there are experienced and not afraid to do the right thing.

Back on topic, I noticed the pH in my big tank has dropped to 6.0, which seems to happen to me a lot in this town. Should I be concerned, or just keep doing small scheduled water changes? I can't get any other readings, because I'm out of test strips.

[Diana]

THose little filters are OK if you do not use the specific media designed for them. If you have any amount of sponge, floss or similar media on the other (Cycled) tanks you can cut up that media and use a small piece in the little filter. Make sure it is still loose. If you pack it too tight the water will not flow.

Those little cartridges will last a long time. Do not throw them away when they are dirty. Keep rinsing and reusing. When the floss on the cartridge starts to fall apart then you can cut it off, but hang onto the plastic. Buy some Rite Size filter media, it is blue on one side and white on the other. Cut it to fit, and put it on the plastic frame (just lay it there) then put this in the filter. You can cut several pieces like this and keep them in the cycled tanks, then when you want one or two move it over and it will bring the bacteria with it.

Very little bacteria live in the water. Nitrifying bacteria live on the surfaces in the filter and the tank where there is good water flow. Set up a Q-tank with water that matches the store where you will be getting the fish. Then over the month or so the fish is in quarantine you can gradually change the water over to match your main tank's water chemistry.
If you do not know the water chemistry then set up the Q-tank with slightly soft water, and if the water in the bag the fish are in is harder you can add minerals to make the tank water match. If the bag water is softer it is OK for a fish to go from soft water to slightly harder water.