figure 8 setup

[bertie 83]

This is irrelevant info tho imo. I would rather start a setup with a cycled tank whether qt or not and go from there. I would not throw a fish in and have to do massive waterchanges to keep it comfy. If i wanted this i would breed discus. Not having a dig but been fishkeeping for 20 odd years and have learnt to know better on that front. Even qt fish go in a cycled aquarium in my house.Just no tankmates

[Pufftastic]

Good for you.

[Reaperpilot2014]

i have spare tanks but refuse to put fish in to a newly started tank, and moving many filters about is a pita.

That's the beauty of the big water change, though. A QT tank with 90% daily water changes doesn't need to be cycled.

This is new info to me. Even with 90% daily water changes, wouldn't the smaller amounts of ammonia still cause damage over time? That's always been my understanding.

[Pufftastic]

i have spare tanks but refuse to put fish in to a newly started tank, and moving many filters about is a pita.

That's the beauty of the big water change, though. A QT tank with 90% daily water changes doesn't need to be cycled.

This is new info to me. Even with 90% daily water changes, wouldn't the smaller amounts of ammonia still cause damage over time? That's always been my understanding.

I have done QT many times on new goldfish in a 10 gallon tank with daily 90% water changes. I have never had a test show the presence of any ammonia. I'm an avid tester.

The fish you are quarantining shouldn't be unreasonably huge for its QT tank, of course. If doing daily 90% water changes shows detectable ammonia within a 24 hour period, the QT tank should be larger.

[Reaperpilot2014]

That's cool, and something I had never really thought of. My quarantine/hospital tanks have always been fully cycled before I use them, usually with a large bala shark. The volume vs size of fish makes since as well, especially with messy puffers. People think I'm crazy to have a 75 gallon quarantine/hospital tank ready for new or sick puffers.

[goldielocke76]

@Bertie-- I am so jealous! I can't wait to get mine. I just contact some guy about some Texas holey rock, hoping to add some of that to the tank along with some other, undefined at this point, tank decorations lol. I love the way the sunken ship looks though! Gives me a good idea of what a 20 looks like fully set up! ^.^

[Pufftastic]

Don't get me wrong, a cycled QT tank is ideal. In years past I've tried to keep an extra filter on one of my tanks that can be moved to a QT tank as needed.

But bertie83 was lamenting the fact that he was unable to purchase his puffer before they were sold out because he didn't have a cycled QT tank at the ready, and I offered an alternative. Got a rather ungracious response, though.

[Reaperpilot2014]

@Bertie-- I am so jealous! I can't wait to get mine. I just contact some guy about some Texas holey rock, hoping to add some of that to the tank along with some other, undefined at this point, tank decorations lol. I love the way the sunken ship looks though! Gives me a good idea of what a 20 looks like fully set up! ^.^

Just be aware that will raise the ph of your tank. My water ph is already 8.2 naturally, so I can't add anything with limestone in it.

[Reaperpilot2014]

Don't get me wrong, a cycled QT tank is ideal. In years past I've tried to keep an extra filter on one of my tanks that can be moved to a QT tank as needed.

But bertie83 was lamenting the fact that he was unable to purchase his puffer before they were sold out because he didn't have a cycled QT tank at the ready, and I offered an alternative. Got a rather ungracious response, though.

That's a really good idea. I haven't tried it in my 9 years of puffers, but if the QT tank was small enough, I believe a cycled filter would work really well. I'm considering that as an option now, since it's really a pain to do water changes and keep filled tanks around that I'm not really using at the moment.

[Reaperpilot2014]

Actually, I've had people ask me about them, and what's in them. I just say, "Well, there's that monstrous bala shark, and a bunch of bacteria."

[RTR]

IMHO & IME, only constant flow-through is the equivalent of a cycled tank, and that only if it fairly high-volume flow-through. Daily partials are certainly better than none, but not the equivalent of a cycled tank. A cycled tank always has undetectable ammonia and nitrite.

[bertie 83]

Don't get me wrong, a cycled QT tank is ideal. In years past I've tried to keep an extra filter on one of my tanks that can be moved to a QT tank as needed.

But bertie83 was lamenting the fact that he was unable to purchase his puffer before they were sold out because he didn't have a cycled QT tank at the ready, and I offered an alternative. Got a rather ungracious response, though.

I am always grateful for your input. Sorry if I sounded like a pig.

[Pufferpunk]

I'd hold out for a F8. they're pretty commonly available. How about searching some farther away shops?

[bertie 83]

Yea kinda thinking of waiting a week or so and ring round in the meantime lol

[Pufferpunk]

I waited 4 years for a red Congo.