Setting up a new 55gal tank and am wondering if my cycle is complete or not. I placed ceramic rings from an already established tank in the extra media slot of my filter, and also placed around 15 gallons of established tank water in with the 40gallons of new water (dechlorinated). It's been running for almost 3 days now and tests at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5ppm nitrate. Water parameters test well but I'm wondering if I need to let it run a few more days just to be safe. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
55gal Speed Cycle w/ Media From Another Tank
- Thread starter RBowers31
- Start date
i did this to all my grow out or quarantin tanks. using 50% water from main tank, sponge, ceramic rings, filter pads all from main tank. drop in new fishes without any issues.
I'm using new filter pads which shouldn't be an issues but am thinking of switching out one to place in the new tank just to be safe...
go get some cheap fish or feeders and put them in there to test/ fully cycle the tank, you coud even go with feeder goldfish but they may have fungus or other diseases, but thatll tell you if you tanks fully cycled and help finish the cycling if not. either way if you do go get new fish, id wait another 3 days atleast
Hmm..didn't think of that. I breed guppies as feeders for my oscar, could just toss a few in there.
RBowers31;5024518; said:
I did this multiple times - started with a 20, moved to a 30, then to a 60. Moved my inhabitants over immediately upon adding the new/old water mix, and didn't have a problem.. (I also had huge pieces of driftwood that went from tank to tank, and I think this helped). Everything stayed at 0, 0, and either 5, or 10ppm.
RBowers31;5024518; said:
GUYS....
It's all about having enough BB to handle the Bioload. Do you guys even realize how fast BB multiplies? It's ridiculously Fast!!! It's one thing if you are starting with all new equipment with no BB start with. But as long as you have the substrate from the old tank, some of the old water (but remember it's best to have 0,0,0 ppm for the Nh3, Nittrites and Nitrates) being that there is still a small amount of BB in the water column and the Filtration media from old tank your are good to go! Plop the fish in and let the tank build it's BB colony. It literally only takes days a few days for the BB colony to build itself to a safe and properly functioning level. The tank typically won't even have the spiky cycle of a new tank. Just be careful no to feed to much for the first few days and when adding to many new fish to the group in that new tank to quickly, as with any established tank. Also, if you are starting with new equipment but have and established tank, take the media out of the etablish filter and squeeze the filter media out into the new filter to Boost the BB colony growth of the new tank and equipment. I have done this plenty of times with nothing but success! Or if it can fit, stick the new media into the old tank/ filtration to build BB on it. You will save youself a lot of heartache, cycling fish lives and money if done correctly and carefully!
It's always best to watch the water perameters of any setup especially a new setup though. Whether you are using new media or old.
Generally speaking, the prescence of nitrates would indicate that your tank is cycled. However, you used old aquarium water so this may be where they came from. I'd use some of your feeder guppies for a few days, then slow stock your tank over the next couple of weeks and I'll bet you're good to go. Test your water as you go.
i agree with the putting fish right away if your using old media and partially old water however its all in the level of risk your willing to take. adding feeder guppies for a little while makes it even safer and slowly adding fish after that makes it even more safer. if you add all your fish at once or rapidly over the course of a few days and something does happen in your new tank the odds of you losing your entire stock greatly increase, so it all in what your willing to risk... however i do believe you SHOULD be ok to add your fish right off the bat
The "Old" tank water isn't really doing you any good other then having a small amount to feed the BB. However, you do need to put something in the tank whether it be feeder guppies or shiners, just something that will continue to add ammonia to the water. If you do not do so, you will lose your BB because they will have nothing to feed off of. The main thing when trying to keep BB is substrate and established media.
Now, had you transferred this say from an established 30Gal to the 55Gal (hypothetically speaking) you would not have wanted to use ANY of the old tank water as you would be placing your fish that were in the 30Gal right back in, thus giving you the direct source of ammonia for your BB. I just wanted to clarify that, I see people everywhere saying "I transferred 50% of my old tank water am I cycled?" the old tank water is truly pointless if fish are getting added right back because your starting with existing nitrates, which is why you do water changes, to lower the nitrates so why would you want to add nitrates to your fresh tank
? If it makes you feel better, then fine but I would never add more then 5 or 10Gal off old tank water, depending on what size the tank was.
Anyways, as I said get something that is alive in the tank asap to keep up the ammonia feed. Congrats on the new setup
Now, had you transferred this say from an established 30Gal to the 55Gal (hypothetically speaking) you would not have wanted to use ANY of the old tank water as you would be placing your fish that were in the 30Gal right back in, thus giving you the direct source of ammonia for your BB. I just wanted to clarify that, I see people everywhere saying "I transferred 50% of my old tank water am I cycled?" the old tank water is truly pointless if fish are getting added right back because your starting with existing nitrates, which is why you do water changes, to lower the nitrates so why would you want to add nitrates to your fresh tank
? If it makes you feel better, then fine but I would never add more then 5 or 10Gal off old tank water, depending on what size the tank was. Anyways, as I said get something that is alive in the tank asap to keep up the ammonia feed. Congrats on the new setup