quarantine tank help

[ktm]

hi i have a 20 gallon copper quarantine tank set up for about 2 weeks. i have a small 1 1/2 inch regal tang, and a 2" foxface. i tested my amonia levels and there 1.5. they have been eating fine and they seem happy. i changed 6 gallons of water this morning. to drop the amonia. do you all think they will die????

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

If there is no biological filtration or it has stopped working, multiple large water changes will need to be done to keep ammonia and nitrite levels at 0 or as low as possible. You may even have to perform multiple large water changes daily. Be sure to adjust the new water's copper level to match. If you don't keep the levels down, the fish will likely die, either from high levels of ammonia/ nitrite or from a weakened immune system (making them vulnerable to secondary infections).
You will have to check ammonia and nitrite levels multiple times a day and perform large water changes as needed.
Remember, doing 30% water changes will only dilute the toxic chemicals by 30%.
Without a functioning biological filter, large water changes (80% or more) are the best way to reduce the levels of ammonia and nitrite.

[ktm]

should i add bioballs to the filter how do most people keep quarantine tanks at low levels without a grip of water changes

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

The QT should have a sponge filter. The sponge should have been put in the display tank to allow the bacteria to colonize on it and then it should have been used in the QT ( takes at least a month for the bacteria to colonize the sponge). What type of filter are you using in the QT?

I ended up using a HOB filter with a bio wheel for my QT ( got it cheaper than a sponge filter). I tossed the bio wheel in the DT for two months to allow for bacterial colonization and set it up in the QT. After adding my 2 clown fish, I had nitrite spikes of .5ppm for a week. I had to test the water 3 times a day and performed 18gallon (20gallon QT) once, sometimes twice a day until the bio wheel was performing like it should. It was a PITA but was necessary.

[ktm]

penguin biowheel 350 i dont have the biowheels anymore though.

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

You can get some new biowheels and use them but you're still going to have to the water changes to keep the amm and trites down until the bacteria colonize. You would be basically cycling your QT with fish which is not good.
Maybe you could return the fish or ask the LFS to hold them until you can get the bio filter working?
It sound dumb but it's better than killing fish and wasting money.

[ktm]

i got the liquid test kit and my amonia is 1, and nitrite is .25. i purchases some microbe-lift amonia remover. has anyone ever tried this stuff. also some ammonia remover to add to my filter and some bioballs.

[leebca]

Unless they are very small fish, they are overcrowded in the QT. The QT size is given in the post: A Fish Quarantine Process

The above linked post also gives you things to do when you measure ANY ammonia and nitrites. They must be kept to non detectable. For every minute they are exposed to these poisons, their lifespan is reduced. The higher the concentration, the faster they die. Even if they 'seem fine' their lifespan has been reduced.

Do water changes; use a chemical filter as described in the QT post; etc. but control the ammonia and nitrites until the biological filter takes over.