The Reason for cycling a tank is to build BB for the Bio Load...

[jcardona1]

Now...my question is....how can I speed up this process if I have no
access to existing tanks......

You're right, a normal cycle will take 4-6 weeks to complete. You cannot speed this up by smelling your water as others have stated.

And old tank water isn't going to help. There are two things you can do to speed this up:

1. Grab bio media from old, established filters.

2. Use Seachem Stability, although on a tank that size it will cost you a small fortune!

 

[jcardona1]

When first filled the tank would be clear...then after a week or so
the tank became totaly cloudy(this is with no fish in the tank and the new filters running). Then the water would become clear again...this is when I
started to add fish(a few at a time) to the tank....no deaths!!!!

This is the part people don't understand. By leaving a new tank running with no fish, NOTHING IS HAPPENING!!! There is no source of ammonia, so there is NO bacteria that will ever become established. Only when you add fish does the cycling process start. You may have not lost your fish, but you put them through hell for several weeks as ammonia levels spiked until the bacteria became established and started consuming the ammonia.

Think of it as humans getting exposed to small bits of radiation. Sure, we didn't die, but who knows what long term effects it may have on our health. You may have shortened the fish's life span, burned it's gills due to the ammonia, etc.

 

[Jc1119]

The information and advice in this thread makes me go like dis

HAAAAA!! too funny not to see one more time

 

[Jc1119]

This is the part people don't understand. By leaving a new tank running with no fish, NOTHING IS HAPPENING!!! There is no source of ammonia, so there is NO bacteria that will ever become established. Only when you add fish does the cycling process start. You may have not lost your fish, but you put them through hell for several weeks as ammonia levels spiked until the bacteria became established and started consuming the ammonia.

Think of it as humans getting exposed to small bits of radiation. Sure, we didn't die, but who knows what long term effects it may have on our health. You may have shortened the fish's life span, burned it's gills due to the ammonia, etc.

and this is exactly why my quarantine tank ALWAYS has at least one fish inside.......bb needs a source of ammonia, without it it will die

 

[Mastiffman]

My point for the whole Entire thread, which a few clearly didn't read the text carefully enough (maybe it wasn't as clear as I could have made it... So Accept my sincere Apologies!), was to say that IF one uses 2 good sized Established Filters, some CLEAN Established Tank water (regardless there is STILL BB in it that WILL help) and the API Stress Zyme+ (which has proven to me since I've used it the last year and started nemerous Filters/ Tanks with it), that a "new setup" Will not spike like a "typical" Fresh Setup will..... You have to monitor it though as well to watch it. This may not be a good practice for beginners...

And a Correction on my Behalf in the OP... it's "Dormant BB" not "live", like I stated... (once again, I apologize)

WHY, because of the proper amount of BB instroduced with the setting up of the tank...

(i.e. Fiilters, water, some substrate and API-SZ)

I wasn't looking to get bashed. As it was stated before, there is more than one way to setup a new tank successfully. BUT I was infomring the way that I Setup my new tanks and Not have them go through a "Spikey" N-Cycle... I test them every time. Tanks are constantly cycling just not on the level that a New tank with no or minimal BB does...

 

[jcardona1]

IF one uses 2 good sized Established Filters, some CLEAN Established Tank water (regardless there is STILL BB in it that WILL help) and the API Stress Zyme+ (which has proven to me since I've used it the last year and started nemerous Filters/ Tanks with it), that a "new setup" Will not spike like a "typical" Fresh Setup will

'old' water isn't going to do anything for you.

If the old filters have enough media/bacteria to suppor the bioload of the fish you are going to add, then yes, this is perfectly fine and will give you an instantly cycled tank. But let's say you take a filter from a tank where you had 10 guppies, and then add it to your new tank that will house 5-10 large cichlids, then yes, you will see an ammonia spike because the bacteria from the old filter cannot keep up with the bioload of the new fish.

So in summary,

If BB from old filter = bioload for new tank, INSTANT CYCLE

 

[Mastiffman]

'old' water isn't going to do anything for you.

If the old filters have enough media/bacteria to suppor the bioload of the fish you are going to add, then yes, this is perfectly fine and will give you an instantly cycled tank. But let's say you take a filter from a tank where you had 10 guppies, and then add it to your new tank that will house 5-10 large cichlids, then yes, you will see an ammonia spike because the bacteria from the old filter cannot keep up with the bioload of the new fish.

So in summary,

If BB from old filter = bioload for new tank, INSTANT CYCLE

Okay, good point with the Fish comparison. I should have shared that I do this with the tanks that i upgrade for a current colony of Cichlids each time.

BUT, on the other hand, it is possible to put more/ larger fish into the new tank as long as you are bringing the BB with it. Larger Bio load only needs a larger BB colony.

I'm talking about CLEAN Water From the previous tank with Zero toxicity. Not OLD Crappy Water that is filled with DEATH! The Bottom line is that a "well" established tank will have Healthy water and Will Havesome BB in the Water Column. So if it Clean Water that Has BB in, whatever amount, How could it NOT be beneficial? That's like saying that eating an orange every day is no beneficial for your body because you are not Getting enough Vit-C from it.

P.S. "instant Cycle" I feel that this is an inaccurate phrase.... I think that Instantly Established Tank would be more appropriate... Someone referring to Cycling a New tank is referring to the process of Creating the sustainable BB in the tank through the Nitrogen Cycle.

 

[Jc1119]

I haven't actually cycled a tank in years because when my current stockload outgrows it's current setup, I simply move the gravel, filters and substrate from the smaller tank to the larger one with no problems or spikes whatsoever. The bb= the load so everything stays the same. If anything it takes longer to reach a certain nitrate level due to the larger volume of water in the new tank

And as long as NEW stock is added slowly, say one or two fish every week or so you shouldn't see much spike at all. You are giving your bb colony a chance to grow accordingly. Slow and steady= a much more stable and healthy environment

 

[Laticauda]

It seems people are also missing the second, and probably most dangerous part of the cycle. When the bacteria that consume nitrItes have not yet established, even though ammonia is being converted already.

NitrItes at ANY level is toxic and causes "brown blood disease" where the nitrItes out-compete oxygen in the gills and suffocate the fish. Salting the tank during this period, and keeping the nitrItes ~1 will help protect fish, but lengthen the time it takes for these bacteria to colonize for the full bioload.

Point being, do it without fish, it goes faster, and is safer for everyone involved.

 

[jcardona1]

The Bottom line is that a "well" established tank will have Healthy water and Will Havesome BB in the Water Column. So if it Clean Water that Has BB in, whatever amount, How could it NOT be beneficial?

What is "healthy" water? Low nitrates? How is that any different from tapwater treated for chlorine/chloramine? I could do 100% water changes if I really wanted as long as the parameters match, doesn't mean I'm getting rid of bacteria. Certain breeders do huge water changes just like this. Even if there is a tiny amount of bacteria in the water column, this isn't gonna speed up the cycling process. You're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

Sure, if you're simply moving fish from one tank to another, a few feet away, then why not transfer the water over, it's easy to do. But if you're moving homes, then don't bother. I think I saw somebody mention getting old water from a LFS. This is completely unnecessary.