tanky cycle?

-Asianguy-

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2006
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I have a 55 gallon.

i just changed half the water, how long will it take for it to cycle?

I also have a an empty 55 that i wish to fill half way with the water from the firs tank.


mahalos
 

Dr Joe

Feeder Fish
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Mar 8, 2006
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Tanks don't cycle, filters do. Tanks are just the indicators.

Are you wanting to fill the other tank to start a filter? If so, use some of your old filter material in the new filter, or borrow from a friend. The we move to bottled bacteria etc., even dirt if it hasn't been fertilized or poisoned (bug spray).

DR Joe

.
 

mercury904

Fire Eel
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Aug 15, 2006
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establish good bacteria for 1 week,put some cheap fish,fishfood also adds to the cycle..a sump filter will help or get an undergravel filter and put substrate in it..plants also help
 

-Asianguy-

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2006
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the 55 running has a good amount of community fish. and about half filled with plants.

the 55 is empty. and im not running undergravel filters. but i'm thinking of using quarts sand in the new tank. and switching them all over later.

I think i'll just take half the water and see if the fliter cartrige will fit into the other filter (different brands) then i'll let it cycle for 1 week or 5 days. then get the new fish i'm holding in a 20gal. and just dump everything from there to the 55. so it wil be 20gal % of the 55 tank water, 15gal new tap water, 20 gal holding tank water. and plants from the first tank too.
 

Bobnova

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 24, 2007
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Humboldt
If you are kickstarting the cycle with filter material from a fully cycled tank you don't want to let the new tank and old material sit empty. Without an ammonia source in the new tank the bacteria on the old filter material will die off, then when you put fish in you'll be starting all over again.

If you have spare time, set the new tank up, get the filter and heater and so on all running.
Then once the temp is up to where it will stay, put some of the filter material from your old cycled tank in the new ones filter.
It doesn't have to be the whole cartridge, just some of it.

Then add some ammonia, if you can find pure ammonia thats best, failing that a cooked coctail shrimp works great, and a pinch or two of fish food works fairly well too.

Now it's cycling, let run and test the water daily.

If you are using ammonia add 2ppm or so each day.
If you are using a shrimp, leave it alone.
If you are using fish food give it a pinch each day.

When you start getting lots of nitrates your filter is ready to rumble.
Do a 95% water change, plop your fish in, and party!


If i'm lucky, the above all made sense. Today isn't one of my more coherent days.
 

-Asianguy-

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2006
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Honolulu
yeah i know of those methods. but i was just thinking that was good for a brand new tank with no old 'water'. i was thinking the stuff was already in the water to start the cycle.

thanks tho. i got the time maybe i'll just do it the old fashion way.
 

Bobnova

Feeder Fish
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Mar 24, 2007
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There is a very, very small portion of the bacteria that are in the water column, but not very much at all.

A scoop of gravel has a much higher bacteria content.


So starting it with used water would be better then nothing at all, but not nearly as good as some filter media.
 

HunterX

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2007
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Minnetonka, MN
Bobnova;893976;893976 said:
There is a very, very small portion of the bacteria that are in the water column, but not very much at all.

A scoop of gravel has a much higher bacteria content.


So starting it with used water would be better then nothing at all, but not nearly as good as some filter media.
:iagree:
 
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