I just know I'm going to jinx myself by typing this, but it's been over 2 months since I lost a fish. They've all been quarantined because neon tetra disease was running rampant, but I don't see any new symptoms in the fish that are left. So I wonder if it's safe now to start restocking my tank? I have a 10-gallon QT that has a few healthy loaches and cories that have been waiting for over 3 months to be put in the big tank.

Also, are the big snails (mystery or apple snails?) a good choice to keep the QT cycled when there are no new fish in it? I'd also like to use the 10-gallon as a breeding tank for snails to feed to my loaches.

i would think (fingers crossed) that it's safe to put the corys and loaches in the big tank by now. i would suggest that u slowly exchange the water in the 10g Q for water from ur big tank. perhaps 2g a day for the next 4 or 5 days, before u put the corys n loaches in the big tank, so they are already used to any change there may be in the water chemistry between tanks.

im not sure about the snails, but i dont see any harm in keeping them in the 10g tank. although as far as i can tell. if u leave the 10g full of tank water (not fresh) and leave the filter running (heater off if u want) then it should stay cycled.

i am no expert on these matters but from experience i think my suggestions should work. hopefully some other forum members will confirm or contradict as necessary.

i wish u luck tho and hope the fishies enjoy their new home.

What Fishy says is good. The partial changes of water will make it less stressfull when the fish come over. But temperature difference is the main element you maust be careful with.

The snail produce waste like any other living critter, so that will maintain the bio-filter.

Oh, thanks! I was wondering the best way to acclimate them to the big tank's water. I'll try to do that tonight if the baby will cooperate and not scream her head off when I set her down. I also need to move the 10-gallon to a better spot - I have a nice space on the kitchen counter for it.

I've heard that snails are pretty wasteful? How much so? I'm sure weekly water changes will keep the water clean, but I'm still curious. Are they as wasteful as goldfish or plecos?

Snails would easily be as wasteful.

But I find that it is a waste far easier to remove, as it was before it went through the Snail. They're very good at sucking up the yucky coating that can biuld up on surfaces.

Keeping the snails will definatly keep the tank cycled. Now if you have to re-add alot of fish or big fish back to the QT you will experience mini-cycle, so keep a good eye on it if this occurs. But one or two smaller fish back in will be fine.