Hi guys I got a question about cycling a new tank that I bought. I was wondering if my new tank would cycle faster if I took some water out of my 3 tanks that has been set up over 2 years and added that to the new tank. Between the 3 tanks I can get about 90 gallons of water to add to the new one. all the filters pumps and everything else is new to. so I am pretty much starting it fresh.
cycleing a 440 gallon tank
- Thread starter harris522
- Start date
No water won't do anything grab some cycled media that will help jump start the cycle
Also, if you don't have fish in the 440 yet, buy some ammonia and an API test kit. Figure out how many drops ammonia to add to reach the recommended ammonia concentration, and use your API test kit to tell when bacteria start consuming it.
Like this. http://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling_p_190.html
Like this. http://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling_p_190.html
Take media out of your established filters as stated above, the bacteria you want in your tank doesn't have a strong concentration in the water column. I've haven't cycled a tank yet without fish or bottled bacteria. I get the décor washed and in, fill the tank, and add the fish along with seachem stability and prime. Tank does its thing within a week every time. I did a 310 6ish months ago this exact way, cycled in 7-9 days.
Hello; I agree with the previous posts in that the water from an established tank does not help much. You do have an advantage by having established tanks because they will have a population of the beneficial bacteria (bb) on the surfaces of those tanks. The bb feed on ammonia, which is a part of fish waste, so will be found on surfaces where the ammonia laden water can touch. Where there is a flow, such as filter media, there should be bb. Some bb will also likely be on other surfaces.
I recently set up a new tank. After a few days of running it to get the temps stable and checking for equipment operation it was time to add some livestock. As I have established tanks with plants and snails, I first added a few live plants and some snails. I discovered a problem at this point and had to take some corrective steps. Once the problem was fixed I added some more plants and snails and dry flake fish food. After a few days with all things going well it was time to add some fish.
Here is a point I have been getting to. The plants and snails likely had a few bb on their surfaces, so that was a start of getting some colonies of the bb growing. However the bb need ammonia for food and a few snails and some decaying fish food will not make much ammonia. The day I added a few small fish I also took some dirty filter media from an established tank and stuffed it into the filter of the new tank setup. This makes sure there will be plenty of bb to deal with the ammonia the fish produce.
I have been adding a few new fish to the tank every few days. My fish are small so there will not be a big increase in the ammonia at one time. This should allow the bb to increase in population in stages and avoid an ammonia spike.
I will add a link to a site about the nitrogen cycle for reference.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html
Good luck
I have
I recently set up a new tank. After a few days of running it to get the temps stable and checking for equipment operation it was time to add some livestock. As I have established tanks with plants and snails, I first added a few live plants and some snails. I discovered a problem at this point and had to take some corrective steps. Once the problem was fixed I added some more plants and snails and dry flake fish food. After a few days with all things going well it was time to add some fish.
Here is a point I have been getting to. The plants and snails likely had a few bb on their surfaces, so that was a start of getting some colonies of the bb growing. However the bb need ammonia for food and a few snails and some decaying fish food will not make much ammonia. The day I added a few small fish I also took some dirty filter media from an established tank and stuffed it into the filter of the new tank setup. This makes sure there will be plenty of bb to deal with the ammonia the fish produce.
I have been adding a few new fish to the tank every few days. My fish are small so there will not be a big increase in the ammonia at one time. This should allow the bb to increase in population in stages and avoid an ammonia spike.
I will add a link to a site about the nitrogen cycle for reference.
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html
Good luck
I have