Ammo Lock In Hospital Tank

[studmaster]

I hate the idea of using something like an Ammo Lock product, but lets be realistic here, most people can't keep a hospital/quarantine running 24/7 just in case a fish gets sick or you buy a couple new fish. What is everyone's opinion on using such a product in a hospital tank to keep the ammonia at 0 in case of emergencies and you don't have time to cycle your tank? Ideally I would be able to get some BioSpira or something similar to introduce alive bacteria to instantly cycle the tank. But if that wasn't a possibility (because of location), would using Ammo Lock in a hospital tank for a couple weeks be okay?

[Nick]

You don't have to keep a hospital running 24/7, you just leave the hospital tank filter on the main tank. Then, when time for quarantine or treatment comes, the filter is ready to instantly cycle the tank. Before I had any tanks established I used to try what you said, and it really doesn't work that well, ammonia soars nearly instantly above zero, at times you can't boost the dose, like when you are sleeping or at work, killing fish. If you have to do it, and have no filter you can snatch from another tank, your probably better off with an ammonia absorbing resin than ammo lock.

[Agnate]

Like Nick and a lot of others, I always run multiple filters on my tanks for the same reason. No point in having a tank up and running when there's nothing in it! Plus, you can put that extra filter to good use when you don't need the quarantine.

[studmaster]

Like Nick and a lot of others, I always run multiple filters on my tanks for the same reason. No point in having a tank up and running when there's nothing in it! Plus, you can put that extra filter to good use when you don't need the quarantine.

That is a great idea with the extra filter. Unfortunately, since I like my puffers so much, I put the tank in my bedroom and every filter I add to it, makes even more noise (which is bad for sleeping). Maybe if I can find an affordable silent one, then that would be perfect.

I actually tried to take the filter media from an established fresh water tank and put it in the hospital tank which is brackish (1.005), but the bacteria must be just a bit different and can't seem to adjust and the ammonia levels get up to about .25. I thought that it would work, but it didn't.

On a side note, is Bio Spira the most respected live bacteria solution to instant cycle? Its been a while since I looked. I guess for that matter will it work in a brackish tank?

Thanks

[Agnate]

You can look into a canister filter, as they're completely silent.

[studmaster]

You can look into a canister filter, as they're completely silent.

Yeah, but a good one, even if it's used would cost over $100 wouldn't it?

[FishFan]

Do ammonia absorbing resins leave medication in the water? I've found a lot of meds kill filters, even ones that say otherwise. It's all well and good to have extra cycled filters on hand (we use sponge filters for hospital/ qt tanks and stuff them into other tanks when not needed), but what to do when treatment meds kill the filter bacteria.

[Nick]

Ammonia absorbing resins are chips in a bag, they aren't dissolved into the water, so no, they don't leave anything in the water. Another possible option for an instantly cycled quarantine is buying a new filter identical to one of your current filters and switching off, new filter on established tank and dirty old filter in quarantine. Might not even cost that much more than bag after bag of ammonia absorption resin.

[FishFan]

Ammonia absorbing resins are chips in a bag, they aren't dissolved into the water, so no, they don't leave anything in the water.

Whoops, I meant do ammonia absorbing resins not remove medications, unlike carbon and zeolite. Worded it funny.

[Nick]

They have ones that absorb lots of things, but most of them only absorb ammonia.

[FishFan]

Mentioned this thread to the dh, and he pointed me in the direction of this Doc Johnson article: http://koivet.com/html/articles/article ... edications Sounds like Ammolock may be better than Prime, and other ammonia detoxifiers.

[Nick]

That page has some... off information. For instance, iodized salt is absolutely harmless in aquariums. Iodide is actually an important reef suppliment, and lack of iodide is known to cause goiter in rays, sharks, and norther puffers. I've never had a problem with Prime or Amquel, though I use prime for the most part because it was cheaper per gallon last time I checked. The guy that developed amquel seems REALLY into fish, as well. He has some interesting thoughts on fish antibiotics that I must say would explain my personal experience with them.

Edit - that page may also be MANY MANY years old. It refers to "ammo lock 2" - they stopped making the original ammo lock(which did not let the biofilter feed on the ammonia) and selling ammo lock 2 as just "Ammo Lock" a very long time ago.

[studmaster]

I have an ehiem classic 2217 filter on my brackish tank....just thinking I could open that up and take out some of the media from there and add it to my hospital tank's HOB filter. Any problems with doing that? How long would it take to cycle with that seed?

[Nick]

If the SG is very close and the biload is the same or smaller on the hospital, it would be nearly instant.

[Myaj]

Hopefully in a hospital or quarentine tank you'll be doing daily water changes anyways and that will help control ammonia. But yes, Ammo Lock is okay to use on a temporary basis. Its only when trying to set up a permanent tank that you run into problems using it (the bacteria can never get established because they starve to death due to no ammonia available).

I keep extra filter media or even just a sponge filter in all my tanks. You don't have to run the sponge filter, just leave it hidden and when you need it, it will be seeded with bacteria and ready to go. That way it doesn't add to the noise levels or electrical usage.