cycle

bacteria is established to convert amonia to nitrites, and nitrites to nitrates. Thats the short version.

how long does that take cause ive been told 24 hr till 6 weeks

It depends on the tank size and how you actually go about cycling it.

smaller tanks = less amount of time larger tanks = more amoutn of time.... if u add pure ammonia to a tank it helps cycle faster also if u have media from a old filter put it into the new filter and it will help with the cycle

but it cannot be done other night can it in a 10 gal tank

If you use Bio-Spira you can add fish right away and it never get cloudy

its possible but i wouldent recomend it..

If you add a filter to another tank and get it established you can just slap it on the new tank, add dechlorinated water, and add fish
I've done that plenty of times.

One of the primary goals of the aquarist is to reproduce parts the nitrogen cycle on a small scale. While similar to the nitrogen cycle in natural environments, the aquarist must supplement some of the components necessary for the cycle to complete. When an aquarium is initially setup, there is insufficient beneficial bacteria to break down fish waste and uneaten food, which allows for unhealthy levels of ammonia and nitrite to build up. Hobbyists refer to this situation as "New Tank Syndrome"; it is a leading cause of fish deaths with newcomers to the hobby. Over time the addition of fish waste, carbon dioxide, light, and plant fertilizers will begin to build large colonies of beneficial bacteria that will ensure the aquarium remains healthy and active (The New Tank Syndrome 2006).

The primary source of ammonia (NH3) is created when fish consume food and oxygen (O2) and create waste and carbon dioxide (CO2). The fish waste then decays into Ammonia. Other sources include excess food that is not eaten as well as decaying plants and dead fish. The rise in ammonia triggers the growth of Nitrosomonas which produce nitrites (NO2). The nitrites trigger the growth of Nitrobacter to produce nitrates (NO3). The nitrates and carbon dioxide are consumed by plant life which produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Excess nitrates are removed by water changes.


source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle