Hey guys!
I have a 10g tank that is now set up to be a quarantine tank (I re-homed the tetras that called it home to my 29g).
--Right now the water parameters are pH 8.0, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, <10 ppm nitrates, 200TDS, 15dGH, 80 degrees F. The high pH and hardness is influenced by my tap water conditions. What's a good way of lowering the pH and hardness to better fit loach conditions?
--How long can the tank go without any fish in it?
Thanks!
quarantine tank question
Moderator: LoachForumModerators
-
starsplitter7
- Posts: 5054
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:04 pm
- Location: Tampa, Florida
What is the KH? (Carbonate Hardness, Alkalinity)
To lower the pH you need to start by lowering whatever buffers are keeping it high, or else it will not stay lowered.
Proper way to think about Q-tank water chemistry is to match the water the fish are in when you buy them. If the local store uses similar water to your tap water, then you do not want to alter that at first.
Over time, change it slowly, while the fish are in quarantine, a little bit of change of pH and hardness with each water change.
Nitrifying bacteria will not live long without food and oxygen. If the Q-tank is fully cycled, then you remove all the fish the bacteria would start dying off in a few days. A small remnant would live a long time, it would not be enough to handle the waste from any fish.
To keep a Q-tank cycled:
1) Run the filter for the Q-tank on the main tank most of the time. When you buy new fish fill the Q-tank with water and move the filter over.
2) Feed the Q-tank with fish food, just as if there are fish there. Decomposer bacteria break down the food, and it becomes ammonia that the nitrifying bacteria like. When you plan on new fish do a big water change and gravel vac.
3) Switch some media between the main tank and the Q-tank when you buy fish.
4) Feed the Q-tank ammonia from a bottle, and do water changes before adding any fish.
I usually use version 2) I feed about twice as much food as I would for fish in that tank, to keep a tank cycled for quite a while.
I use system 3) to start a new tank: The donor tank can lose up to 25% of the media in the filter and not show any cycle or minicycle. (My tanks are also heavily planted) and I have enough tanks of similar water chemistry that I can round up enough media so a new filter is fully cycled, stuffed with used media.
I have also used method 1) for a new tank: Split the fish population, too, if the filter I am removing is a significant amount of the bacteria from the original tank.
I am doing 4) to keep a storage container of filter media cycled in anticipation of using the media in the sump of my 125. Big pads that do not fit in any filter.
To lower the pH you need to start by lowering whatever buffers are keeping it high, or else it will not stay lowered.
Proper way to think about Q-tank water chemistry is to match the water the fish are in when you buy them. If the local store uses similar water to your tap water, then you do not want to alter that at first.
Over time, change it slowly, while the fish are in quarantine, a little bit of change of pH and hardness with each water change.
Nitrifying bacteria will not live long without food and oxygen. If the Q-tank is fully cycled, then you remove all the fish the bacteria would start dying off in a few days. A small remnant would live a long time, it would not be enough to handle the waste from any fish.
To keep a Q-tank cycled:
1) Run the filter for the Q-tank on the main tank most of the time. When you buy new fish fill the Q-tank with water and move the filter over.
2) Feed the Q-tank with fish food, just as if there are fish there. Decomposer bacteria break down the food, and it becomes ammonia that the nitrifying bacteria like. When you plan on new fish do a big water change and gravel vac.
3) Switch some media between the main tank and the Q-tank when you buy fish.
4) Feed the Q-tank ammonia from a bottle, and do water changes before adding any fish.
I usually use version 2) I feed about twice as much food as I would for fish in that tank, to keep a tank cycled for quite a while.
I use system 3) to start a new tank: The donor tank can lose up to 25% of the media in the filter and not show any cycle or minicycle. (My tanks are also heavily planted) and I have enough tanks of similar water chemistry that I can round up enough media so a new filter is fully cycled, stuffed with used media.
I have also used method 1) for a new tank: Split the fish population, too, if the filter I am removing is a significant amount of the bacteria from the original tank.
I am doing 4) to keep a storage container of filter media cycled in anticipation of using the media in the sump of my 125. Big pads that do not fit in any filter.
38 tanks, 2 ponds over 4000 liters of water to keep clean and fresh.
Happy fish keeping!
Happy fish keeping!
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests