Keeping An Iso Tank Running- Shrimp?

[trianglekitty]

I want to keep an isolation tank standing ready for new fish purchases. Would it make sense to put shrimp in the tank? That way I would be feeding them and the tank would have a bacteria colony.

Then, when I do get new fish, I can move the shrimp to the main tank (so if the new fish are sick and I have to treat them I wouldn't risk hurting the shrimp). When the fish graduate out to the big tank, I just move some shrimp back in.

 

[onidrase]

What I did in regards to that was put the filter media from the isolation tank in one of my larger filters on the main tanks when it wasn't in use. But not everyone has huge filters on their tanks.

In regards to using shrimp, their bioload is almost non existant, I'm honestly not sure if they'd help much in regards to keeping your filter colony alive.

 

[Nick217]

I would say keep two guppys in it or maby a molly or two?

Just something to keep it going or just use the iso filter in your main tank and keep the iso tank with just a powerhead in it so it keeps the flow of water moving ect?

 

[karawr]

Dose it with pure ammonia or simply crushed flake... of course monitor your levels so you're not dosing too much ammonia. It will be like you already have fish in. Just make sure to do a large w/c before putting fish in just in case.

 

[trianglekitty]

Dose it with pure ammonia or simply crushed flake... of course monitor your levels so you're not dosing too much ammonia. It will be like you already have fish in. Just make sure to do a large w/c before putting fish in just in case.

Wouldn't putting in fish food to feed the shrimp accomplish the same?

 

[the_lock_man]

Dose it with pure ammonia or simply crushed flake... of course monitor your levels so you're not dosing too much ammonia. It will be like you already have fish in. Just make sure to do a large w/c before putting fish in just in case.

Wouldn't putting in fish food to feed the shrimp accomplish the same?

The reason that fish food works is that it decomposes, and releases ammonia. If the shrimp eat it, there ain't no decomposing going on.

 

[nigsy]

Just to add...shrimp are usually killed by a lot of treatment you may apply in an Iso tank, especially whitespot etc, so would not be a good idea to do this, unless you are going to run an active carbon filter for a few days to clear the medication.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Leave the shrimp out of the Q tank, they wont help, just put enough extra media in your big filter to fill your Q tanks filter, then leave it to seed.

Then when you need your Q tank, fill it with tempreture matched dechlorinated water, put your filter media into your small filter, turn it on. Hey Presto instantly cycled Q tank.


Tom

 

[trianglekitty]

Leave the shrimp out of the Q tank, they wont help, just put enough extra media in your big filter to fill your Q tanks filter, then leave it to seed.

Then when you need your Q tank, fill it with tempreture matched dechlorinated water, put your filter media into your small filter, turn it on. Hey Presto instantly cycled Q tank.


Tom

This is what I did, and my two fish in iso died. I have ammonia in my tap water, but I did use media from my mature tank. It was a bit of a mystery and I'm still not entirely sure what happened. I had the tank sent up and ready the night before, so the media should have taken care of the ammonia (plus I used Prime as my treatment).

It does seem like shrimp are not the answer though, so thank you everyone for the replies. It sounds like they're just too efficient really...they'd eat up the food but not give me any waste back!

I'm getting some chili rasboras very soon, which is why I want to make sure I've got this issue straightened out.But since I don't really know what happened with the other two fish (and I did everything I was meant to), I guess I just have to risk it.