[cichlidfishguy]

Hello I hope to take delivery of my first tank a 5'x2'x2' and sump 89x50x45cm hopefully in March pending house renovation to house south and or central american cichlids.

I currently only have a 60cm x 40cm x 40cm (90 litre) tank I set up as a quarantine tank I am fishless cycling with nitrite and nitrate readings using my API test kit of 5ppm nitrite and 20ppm nitrate. My cycle has taken a long time despite using seachem stability but a bit more patience and cycle will finally complete

My question Re my quarantine tank is how do I seed my new 5ft tank when I only have the QT running with 1 x sponge filter and no substrate or rock etc, I only have PVC piping for fish to hide.

I want to keep the QT running so I can add new fish here first to medicate and observe for 2 to 4 weeks before adding to 5ft tank so the sponge filter needs to remain in the QT going forward and I may keep this small tank running in case needed.

When the cycle in QT is complete I want to add a small green terror (or two) and leave in QT for 2 to 4 weeks but when this time has passed how best to seed my new 5ft tank?

-I do not want to add anyone's or fish store media or substrate
-Could I add a second smaller sponge filter to QT then move across to seed 5ft tank?
-Or is there another better way to ensure new 5ft tank has sufficient bacteria ready for when I add the one or two fish removed from the QT.

I have ordered 5kg of biohome ultimate media and a biohome sump brick both rated at 100L per KG - my system with sump will be approx 600 litres could I place some of the biohome media or the sump brick in the QT and then move this across to my 5ft tank's sump later perhaps?

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions on this.

 

[DJRansome]

First know that the media from the QT tank will support the same number of fish in the new tank...if you move ALL of it.

Allow six weeks for a cycle.

You are going to have only 2 green terrors in the five foot tank?

I would wait for the 3-4 weeks quarantine to be complete, and then move fish and sponge filter from the QT tank to the five-foot tank.

Wait 2 weeks for the sponge to "share" it's bacteria with the sump and then replace it on the QT tank.

At this time I would also add substrate to the QT tank so it can grow beneficial bacteria. When moving fish to the five foot tank you can move the substrate to provide more bacteria, or leave it to keep the QT tank cycled.

I would not bother with other media in the QT tank since it can only divide up the beneficial bacteria available to move. The bacteria grows to support the amount of fish...not to fill up the available media.

 

[cichlidfishguy]

Thanks DJRansome. I will stock more than the two Green Terrors I mentioned but only after waiting and QT new fish.

I am tempted by an Oscar and Jack Dempsey's appeal also as do Jaguar cichlids.

I will add more fish later each time using the QT before adding to display tank.

I had not considered substrate in QT as I believed this would hinder clearing up any disease newly purchased fish might have for example ich. I just wanted to have substrate in the display tank.

I will follow your suggestion regarding sponge filter and be patient with new fish additions.

All the best to you.