# how often wc to keep my QT tank clean?



## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

It is only 5 gallon- basically a plastic tub w/sponge filter (that was in main tank for 3 weeks), heater, some decor & rocks out of the main tank (w/algae), a small piece of driftwood, some floating watersprite plants. I got three Otocinclus yesterday- they are less than 1" each. 

I want to keep them in QT at least a week because had problems before bringing fish home from pet store turned out were sick. My question is how often should I do water change to keep it clean enough, since the tank is so small? This morning it had foul odor- I trimmed some brown leaves off the plants, siphoned waste off the bottom and did a 25% wc. Still stinks, but not nearly as bad. I had put in today 1 algae wafer and bit of fresh veggie (cooked pea) but they haven't found or eaten it yet- could that be the cause of the bad smell? the wafer is just disintegrating, how long can I safely leave it in, to give them enough time to find it?

My main question is how often should I do wc, and what percentage? every other day? more or less often? 

Any other advice on getting these guys safely thru QT period I'd be grateful for. They were at the petstore more than a month, so I hope these ones are healthy, can eat. I thought they might still be settling in and not interested in looking for food yet, but today they are a lot more active and have better color (were very pale when I first introduced them)

I've got the temp at 74, Ammonia is 0.25, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5ppm. Thanks.
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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I also have sinking pellets to feed- spirulina w/protein- but haven't tried that on them yet.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

3 Otos in 5 gallons isn't so bad; as long as you don't feed them too much you can get by with 30% a week.


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

My ottos won't eat normal food, sometimes they'll sit next to a wafer and not eat it. They prefer to eat off the plants and walls.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

Well, there's lots of algae on walls & plant leaves in the main tank, but I needed something to feed them while they are in QT that's why I bought the packaged stuff. They've already eaten most the algae off the decor I put in w/them. Didn't touch the wafer. I tried giving them lettuce today, will try zucchini too- if they don't eat anything guess I'll pull something else out of home tank w/algae growth on it, for time being.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Take some large pebbles, put them in a shallow dish of dechlorinated water by a source of light (window or artificial). After 24h some algae should have grown on the rocks, put the rocks into the QT tank as a food source.


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

I did so a week ago- I even put some drops of liquid plant food in w/the rocks, but no algae grew yet. Is it because of the cold? windowsill gets direct sun half the day but is still pretty chilly, especially at night.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

could be, try putting artificial light over the stones 24/7. Throw a fish flake in there too to give the algae some amonia too. Not too much though, just one flake or so


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## Jeane09 (Nov 19, 2013)

ok, thanks. I'll put it under my desk lamp.


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## Elliott225 (Jan 9, 2014)

Plants don't feed off ammonia. If plants did you would have algae growing in a cycling tank. Once the ammonia converts to nitrates and nitrites the plants use that. Lives plants helps to keep algae to a minimum.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Some plants do eat amonia actually, and I'm sure certain species of algae do to. And you do have algae growing in a cycling tank a lot of times, when I started my 5g it was full of algae growing.


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