byte12

I have a ten gallon quarantine tank. It is a bare tank, near a window, no heater, no light, no filter.

It started as a ten gallon tank with water. Then an Amazon Sword Plant (brazilian sword?) was added as a floater. Then a chunck of java moss was added as a sinker. The a large clump of anacharis was added as a floater.

Nothing has been added except fish food and quarantined fish. Then the fish go in their normal tanks.

There are currently no fish in the tank. Very little algae either.

Question: Should I continue just adding fish food or should I maybe put in some aquatic fertilizers?

- Dave

Alex123

I would. Diane said she feed liberally to the fish and some for the plant. So even if you don't have fish, the some part still needed for the plant noh? But as a quarantined tank why don't you put a group of community fish in there like 4 or 5 small fishes? Why maintain tank with a bunch of floating plants without any fishes? I would want fishes just for the fact that they will eat any small critters that may be growing in the perfectly maintained water condition for the nasties to thrive. Don't want mosquito infestation or something lol. If you are tired of having to feed the fish, just use an automatic feeder. Then the tank can be left alone until it's needed again.

Diana K

I use fish food to keep a quarantine tank going. As it decomposes it supplies the ammonia necessary to keep the nitrifying bacteria alive, and as it is further decomposed it supplies other plant nutrients. I feed about twice as much fish food as I would if I added fish tot he tank, so I know that the bacteria can handle the waste load from the fish (which, of course, comes from fish food)
I also use plant fertilizers as I have found my plants show potassium and iron deficiencies if I do not.

Mostly my Q-tanks are not empty of fish, though.

Alex123

Diana speaking of potassium and iron deficiencies can you shed a little more light on the subject? I assume it's a in water fertilizers and not in substrate? Is there a particular brand or brands you use? Thanks.

El Exorcisto

K deficiencies are typically exhibited through pinholes in new growth. Iron deficiencies range from yellow to downright sickly looking growth. A soil substrate has a fair amount of K, but if there is no substrate then the available K in the water column is expended very quickly, iron as well. Plants need food, it's literally that simple. Byte, fertilizing isn't something you just "do." The tank really needs to be set up with that in mind. I'd say either make it an aquarium, or break it down until you need a quarantine again, although I personally feel the practice is dreadfully overused, but thats just my opinion.