Water from a cycled tank won't help. The beneficial bacteria lives on objects, and surfaces not in the water column.
How to instant cycle
- Thread starter Punjabiking1500
- Start date
Agree with this, the bacteria that are considered beneficial are sessile (meaning they live as biofilm on surfaces like substrate, sunken wood, plants etc), they are not planktonic.
Old water is just old water, and of negligible use.
I got my 42 gallon patio pond set up in a few days by adding some sand and fake plants in from an established tank. I added around 35 gallons of water from my 55, and I just had a few days to prep for the fish.
I use sponge filters. When I know that I will set up a new tank I just put a sponge filter in the tank with the heaviest bio load and let it run for a month or longer if possible. When the new tank is decorated and the water is somehow clear I squeeze the sponge filter over the new tanks filter and put the sponge filter in the tank for around four weeks. I add fish immediately and just reduce the amount of food for the first few weeks if it seems necessary. Like adding really big fish or a huge amount of fish. I never had any issues with amonia or nitrites using this method.
The only downside is that you have to endure the ugly view of these things for a while.
The only downside is that you have to endure the ugly view of these things for a while.
