In the next one to three months, I have plans to have a new 300 deep dimension tank up and running. Plans are to have a DIY sump using scrubbies and roughly 10x per hour turnover rate. Any suggestions on getting the tank cycled quickly so that I can get the rays in there in a reasonable amount of time?
cycling a larger tank for stingray
- Thread starter Chasintail
- Start date
It is gonna take a while. My 300 72-36-27 using a DIY 100 gallon sump with around 1,000 potscrubbers took around 6 weeks to finish cycling. My main problem was getting enough ammonia in there to get it started. I just slowly added some XL red hooks a hampala barb and a peacock bass over that time and saved the ray for last.
I tried dosing the tank with some gunk from some used bio media and it didn't really seem to have a huge effect.
You just have to be patient it is worth it in the long run to cylcle properly
I tried dosing the tank with some gunk from some used bio media and it didn't really seem to have a huge effect.
You just have to be patient it is worth it in the long run to cylcle properly
Plan on alot of waterchanges to keep the parameters in check. Any used bio wheels or filter pads from a current system can be put in the sump to help jump start the bio. Stresszyme or safestart with biospira can help also. Either way it takes time. Carbon can help lower ammonia.
What are your current filters?
Its easy to get enough ammonia, just go to an Ace hardware and buy some.
Its easy to get enough ammonia, just go to an Ace hardware and buy some.
I have a 120 tank filtered through a roughly 20-30 gallon sump with at a guess 2 gallon of bio balls. I don't know the exact specs as I picked it up used. It didn't have any downtime to speak of so I had zero cycling time.
Easiest way to cycle a tank quickly is by using live plants. Get a bunch of java moss or najas and throw it in the tank. There are beneficial bacteria on all parts of the plants. In addition, the plants will take up ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate right from the water. I have cycled many tanks quickly using this method. I once came home from an aquarium society auction with a stingray. Had no tank set up. Put water and dechlorinator in a 50 breeder, added plants, added a new filter and heater, then added the ray. I have done the same thing with discus and lots of other fish. It works. I could never understand why people go through fishless cycles that take weeks to complete.
Since you already have a sump, you already have your answer. Just move the media to the new tank and move the rays at the same time. 'Problem' solved.
I was planning on leaving the 120 set up as well. Maybe I can do what you suggest and then recycle the smaller tank with smaller fish.
You can also go to your LFS and ask them for some from their running systems or friends with tanks. You can also do water changes on your current system into the new tank to help speed it up and move over your filter media you already have when your ready.
Isnt it a huge missunderstanding by cycling "the tank"? The filters have to coop with the bioload(volume of fish), not the volume of the tank? or am i way in the woods now? What im saying, if i have a 200gallon tank, lets say 5 rays, 2x fx5 to cycle it.. If i then make a tank of 1000 gallon, the 2 fx5`s should still be able to handle the 1000 gallon tank, if i have the same stock? Offcourse in time(as the rays grow larger) you would need to upgrade..