[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Dear Experts,

I'd set up on May 19 a Q-tank (approx.10g) using 50% display tank water + 50 % NSW. The hang-on back filter has been running on the sump for 2 weeks with bio-rings inside. And I also dumped in a small piece of rock & a small bag of bio-ring from the display. I intend to run it fishless for a week before I bring the fish home. The things I want to know are: (1) can these "Old" stuff build up some sort of "Biological filtering" and do they have enough "bacteria" to support the Q-tank? (2) do I have to feed the Q-tank while it is fishless? (3) do I have to do water change without fish yet? (4) will water change break up the chain of cycling a NEW Q-tank?

Your advices are urgently sought!

Best wishes

Jimmy WONG
from Hong Kong

[smidoid]

Urgent? Jimmy - you can't do anything fast in this game. Here are my thoughts - and I'm NO EXPERT!

Display water from a mature tank will contain some bacteria and other useful stuff, so that's a start. If by rock, you mean LIVE rock, then that also has more goodies that you need.

The only way to be sure that everything is as it should be is to test (and re-test) the water for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite. Ammonia and nitrite should be zero or dropping; and nitrate should be present and probably rising (slowly). This feature shows the cycle in progess, just as it would in a display.

Water changing won't help the cycle - it will only slow it. You should be changing water to get rid of excess "everything" when you add fish and even then, you can't just add a load of fish to a QT any more than you could in a display - the filter won't be able to keep up.

Incidentally, if you do spot an infection in the QT after adding fish (or whatever) you'll need to re-quarantine the live rock filter if you want to use it again. The tank and other fillters can be treated as necessary, but biofilters should not be reused without quarantining.

I think Steven Pro advises keeping a bubble filter running in the fuge (or diplay if you don't have one) to get it bio-ready and disposes of it when it's been used. You don't have to listen to me, here's an expert view:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Thanks, Smidoid, it seems I've followed the lines this time. Thanks again.

Best Wishes,

Jimmy

[smidoid]

No worries Jimmy. Hope to see you stick around Reefland, it's a pretty cool commuity.

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Dear All,

Brought a Banggai Cardinal home on Tuesday. Looks like a girl. See if "She" could get along with the existing male in the 48" after th Q-priod. The girl is now in the Q-tank which was set up on 22 May. Just started feding her on Thursday with frozen shrimp (from the fish markt) meat. Dashing for the meat this morning. Hope she could make it through the Q-priod of a month!

Jimmy WONG

[leebca]

Welcome to Reefland!

Hope you'll utilize the new Forum here for Marine Fish: Care, Health and Disease Treatment.

The only approach I differ with the above referenced article by Steven Pro on, is the length of time for a proper QT. No less than 6 weeks is my recommendation.

Use of display tank water to begin a QT is fine. But after that, all water changes are to be made with new saltwater.

2 weeks is short for establishing a good bio filter. A sponge filter is about the fastest (and recommended) biological filter. A few weeks should make the sponge filter ready to use.

NO LIVE ROCK in the QT. It interferes with medications and treatments AND the dying life will quickly pollute a small QT.

Monitor water quality even more in the QT they you do the display tank. Watch pH closely (twice a day is recommended) and keep it steady, and in the right range.

Good luck!

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Thanks Lee. You remind me of the NEW water for the Q-tank. I've used the water in the display for the daily water change for the Q-tank. It's nice to stick around here.

Best wishes,

Jimmy

[leebca]

You're more than welcome, Jimmy.

[yankit3@hotmail.com]

Dear Mate, returned home after work and the little cardinal was gasping and...... Lost appetite this morning. Any suspected CYANIDE case. Avoid keeping this fish in future. You can't tell if it was wild-caught or captive bred.

Jimmy
form Hong Kong

[leebca]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Jimmy.