best way to cycle new tank?

[FreshyFresh]

Like said above, once you move established filtration media and maybe some hardscape over to a brand-new tank, you can stock it right away with the fish you want. Also like said, I wouldn't go nuts. I'd measure water parameters daily until I KNOW the tank produces nothing but nitrates and get a feel for the nitrate creep.

Also, any time you add new fish, the potential for parasites and disease will always be there.

 

[Tiktock]

What is the safest way to get a new tank up and running in an emergency? My 55 gallon busted a seal and broke last week and I was forced to put a huge 12" cichlid in a bucket. I went out and bought a 75 gal the next day, transferred 20+ gallons from the prior tank that I syphoned, used all the old gravel and decorations and filled the new tank up.

I'm on well water which is perfect PH for cichlids and the temp was correct. Had no choice but to throw him right in.

He seems to be doing fine a week later but I'm worried about the tank not being fully set up yet. Should i be good to go?

 

[Jhay3513]

What is the safest way to get a new tank up and running in an emergency? My 55 gallon busted a seal and broke last week and I was forced to put a huge 12" cichlid in a bucket. I went out and bought a 75 gal the next day, transferred 20+ gallons from the prior tank that I syphoned, used all the old gravel and decorations and filled the new tank up.

I'm on well water which is perfect PH for cichlids and the temp was correct. Had no choice but to throw him right in.

He seems to be doing fine a week later but I'm worried about the tank not being fully set up yet. Should i be good to go?

In that case as much hardscape, Filter media and material from the old setup and if you can, daily testing and frequent (every 2-3 days) water changes. I’d also slow down on feeding the fish until you’re sure your cycle wasn’t affected and if it was, make sure it has recovered. Less food that you feed equals less waste produced for the time being until things balance out

 

[skjl47]

What is the safest way to get a new tank up and running in an emergency? My 55 gallon busted a seal and broke last week and I was forced to put a huge 12" cichlid in a bucket. I went out and bought a 75 gal the next day, transferred 20+ gallons from the prior tank that I syphoned, used all the old gravel and decorations and filled the new tank up.

I'm on well water which is perfect PH for cichlids and the temp was correct. Had no choice but to throw him right in.

He seems to be doing fine a week later but I'm worried about the tank not being fully set up yet. Should i be good to go?

Hello; You did what I have done a few times. The old hard materials and substrate should have plenty of beneficial bacteria (bb) to seed the new setup. That is providing it was kept wet.
The new setup may go thru a period of adjustments as the bb population either needs to increase or die back to match the ammonia/nitrite loads. But this should not be a problem when using stuff from an established tank.

I keep a few sponge bases of sponge filters in the compartments of power filters so I can quickly set up additional tanks by throwing them on and having a sponge filter run by air bubbles.

A side note, the water from the old tank was of little to no value for setting up a new tank. Very little if any of the needed bb is in the water. The bb make a bio film on hard surfaces.