Hospital Tanks and Keeping the Cycle Going

[AJ1080]

So I got a 29 gallon tank with an aquaclear (with no media), heater, and PVC to setup as my hospital tank so I can treat for ich and have some questions.

1. I have 25 gallons of mixed SW but dont know if I should put it all in the hospital tank, fill the hospital tank with water from my DT, or use a mix of 15 old/15 new to keep from shocking the fish when I move them in.
2. If there are no fish in the DT, will the live rock/nitrifying bacteria begin dieing? If so whats the best way to keep it alive.
3. How often and how much water will I have to change out once the hospital tank is setup?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Brando457]

1. You can do a 50/50 mix, but I would still ensure both parameters of the QT and DT are the same.
2. Ghost feed the tank, aka throw in a pinch of food or two a day to help the DT stay healthy.
3. It is important to test the QT water to ensure ammonia does not rise and nitrites are 0, what I did for my QT is I put a sponge in my sump about a week/2 weeks beforehand and then I stuck that in my hang on filter.

Hope this helps!

 

[AJ1080]

Thanks Brando. Greatly appreciated.