About to Cycle my 300gl. couple Q's???????

[West1]

I have my fish in a 50gl and my 300gl is a couple of weeks away from being set up again. Right now my 50gl is over crowded and H20 changes are done every 3 days of 40-50%. For my 300gl, I have 3 chambers of bioballs and about 5lbs of ceramic rings that I am going to put to my Sump of the 300gl.

My Q is when should I add a good portion of bioballs to my overstocked 50gl so that I can transfer the good bacteria to the begining of the 300's cycling? I can put them in now, but it will take space from the crowded tank. Is a week before good enough time to attract a good portion of bacteria?

I was thinking of adding a clean womans stocking full of bioballs to my 50gl for about a week (from 1 chambers worth of bioballs) and start with those. and just keep the same thing going untill the first chamber is finished, meanwhile the rest of the bioballs/ceramic rings, have them in the sump of the 300gl as the start of the water cycling.

I was also going to go to a Lfs to buy some of those H20 cycling packs that add bacteria to my tank. Are these worth the $$/time???????

Thanks for your feedback

 

[Gypsy69]

When you do one of your water changes you could move some of that water over to the new tank and perhaps some substrate/rocks to move some "good" bacteria over. If your 50 gallon has multiple filters, move one of those over. The best way I have done this was the "ole" fashioned way meaning without the cycling packs. I've had them not work twice and it was with just feeders, well less some nice fish. Put some feeders in there and let it cycle if you can. Take your water to the lfs for testing or buy a kit if you can afford it and you will know when the levels spike and then go down to be suitable for your new little guys.
125 Gallon with 6 RBP's

 

[West1]

When you do one of your water changes you could move some of that water over to the new tank and perhaps some substrate/rocks to move some "good" bacteria over. If your 50 gallon has multiple filters, move one of those over. The best way I have done this was the "ole" fashioned way meaning without the cycling packs. I've had them not work twice and it was with just feeders, well less some nice fish. Put some feeders in there and let it cycle if you can. Take your water to the lfs for testing or buy a kit if you can afford it and you will know when the levels spike and then go down to be suitable for your new little guys.
125 Gallon with 6 RBP's

I'm thinking of trying to get 150glns of someones water change (that has a PH of 8.0)
Hopefully I just need my tank to cycle for about a week this way

What do you guys think???????