How can i boost the nitrogen cycle

[Dcheung06]

I recently just got 55-gallon fish tank and was wondering if there is any way to speed up the process of the nitrogen cycle(NOTE: The water has been sitting in the tank for at least 3 days). If there is tell me how long it will take until its ready for an Oscar.

Thanks

 

[brent245]

Squeeze a dirty filter sponge into the new tank. I assume you've researched the nitrogen cycle, you'll need to wait a couple weeks most likely. You'll need to either put some expendable fish in there or dose ammonia to feed the bactiera. Google how to do this.

 

[tlindsey]

I recently just got 55-gallon fish tank and was wondering if there is any way to speed up the process of the nitrogen cycle(NOTE: The water has been sitting in the tank for at least 3 days). If there is tell me how long it will take until its ready for an Oscar.

Thanks

Do you have a filter on the aquarium?

 

[krichardson]

.....and by "dirty filter sponge" you'll want to use one from a filter on a well established tank

 

[RD.]

If you can get your hands on enough established filter media, and place that media in your filters, you can instantly cycle a new tank. I have done this numerous times. Another alternative is using bacteria in a bottle, such as Seachem Stability. https://www.seachem.com/stability.php
I have used that Seachem product and while I found that I needed to use double the recommended dosage, it did indeed work.

 

[Drstrangelove]

I recently just got 55-gallon fish tank and was wondering if there is any way to speed up the process of the nitrogen cycle(NOTE: The water has been sitting in the tank for at least 3 days). If there is tell me how long it will take until its ready for an Oscar.

Thanks

The tank needs the proper bacteria in a suitable quantity under the proper conditions for an Oscar according to the Oscar's size. If it's a full grown Oscar, it will never be ready as a 55 is too small. However, a much smaller Oscar (say, 3-5 inches) might have some time in a 55 gallon if you have the proper type and amount of bacteria.

There are a lot of good suggestions above, but they all boil down to getting proper bacteria living and surviving on the proper media. A portion of existing media (or better yet, the entire filter from a mature tank) populated with a large amount of the correct bacteria successfully placed in the tank filter is the absolute fastest means, being all but instant. (Note however, that if the mature tank has few small fish, it might take a while to accommodate the needs of a 5" Oscar, and certainly will take a more than a few days, if it's a larger Oscar. But it will still be pretty fast.)

All of the other methods require the bacteria to move from the water column into a suitable media where the bacteria can attach itself and begin expanding colonies. This is faster if you are adding the bacteria from a bottle or from a mature sponge, but isn't instant.

I'd recommend reposting once you have a chosen method just to make sure you are ready to test the tank to be certain it's ready.

 

[skjl47]

Squeeze a dirty filter sponge into the new tank.

Hello; My take is this is not a very effective way to get the beneficial bacteria (bb) you need. The bb form colonies on surfaces and secrete a sticky film which attaches them to such surfaces. What you need are the surfaces the bb are attached to. It is my understanding not much will be in the squeezings.

get your hands on enough established filter media, and place that media in your filters,

Hello; This.

A portion of existing media (or better yet, the entire filter from a mature tank) populated with a large amount of the correct bacteria successfully placed in the tank filter is the absolute fastest means, being all but instant.

Hello; This.

 

[duanes]

Just letting water sit, is not accomplishing your goal, and is in no way cycling.
Either sacrificial fish that produce ammonia need to be added, or straight ammonias need to be added. (you could add the oscar as a sacrificial fish, because a 55 is torture for a fish that size anyway)
A normal cycle takes 6 to 8 weeks, if ammonia is being added every couple days..
Bottled bacteria are said to speed it up, for an oscar in a 55 you are going to need a very substantial population of very healthy bacteria to handle the oscars bio-load in such a tiny volume of water.

 

[skjl47]

Aquarium cycling link


http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/nitrogen_cycle.html

 

[Dcheung06]

Do you have a filter on the aquarium?

i do