Think it finished cycleing yet?

[WckedMidas]

Ok i set the 75 gal up on the porch between three and four weeks ago. Im running magnum 350 with biowheels on it for now. I added a jag about a week ago give or take a couple days. I dont got a test kit right now . It magicaly disapeared somehow. Anyways do you think it finished its cycle and be safe to add a second fish to it now? Im gonna land up adding a ping 330 to it. I got to fix a crack in it . LEt me what ya think.is it or isnt it cycled ?

 

[WckedMidas]

Ok i set the 75 gal up on the porch between three and four weeks ago. Im running magnum 350 with biowheels on it for now. I added a jag about a week ago give or take a couple days. I dont got a test kit right now . It magicaly disapeared somehow. Anyways do you think it finished its cycle and be safe to add a second fish to it now? Im gonna land up adding a ping 330 to it. I got to fix a crack in it . LEt me what ya think.is it or isnt it cycled ?

 

[piranha45]

wait 16 days, total. 2 weeks, 2 days is about the average length for the nitrogen cycle to fully establish itself.

currently your tank will have a lot of nitrIte in it.

if you only have 1 2" fish in there, don't immediately add a couple 10" fish, or you're going to have ammonia problems all over again

 

[Jesse]

WM, before you added the midas, were you feeding or adding ammonia to the tank? If not, then the tank really wasn't cycling during that period, as there was no source of ammonia. Also, did you seed the filter or tank with any live media from a cycled tank?

IME, a virgin cycle, i.e., involving no live media, can take anywhere from two to six weeks, depending on the size of the tank and other variables. Using a filter from an established tank, I've been able to cycle a tank fully within two days to a week, largely depending on the size of the tank and the percentage of filter media that is cycled versus virgin.

Your best bet is to buy a test kit. When ammonia and nitrites are both zero, it's cycled.

 

[WckedMidas]

well it ran a week or two with nothing in it at all just running the filter with biowheel attachment. then i added a 5 inch jag to it . It been aprox im guessing two ro three weeks with the jag in the tank. Nope i didnt recycle any meadia i thought about it . but the other two tanks im running mags on onl have mags for filters and didnt want to screw up there cycle. Even tho there established. Im just gonna keep a eye on the jag if it starts acting funny i will do some watter changes on the tank.

Think i should jerk the jag out and stick my bullhead in repla ce of it to finish the cycle. They can survive anything it seems

 

[WckedMidas]

i forgot i also added like 30 percent of cycled watter from my 150 to the 75 when i filled it up

 

[piranha45]

well, if u dont wanna buy the test kits, keep in mind u can always stop by a lfs and have them test it for you...

 

[WckedMidas]

its not that i dont wana buy it i already have it. but its missing in action right now. I duno where it went been looking for it over a month. But thats a good idea

 

[Kenta]

next time you clean an established tank, take the mulm/crap/boogers from when you gravel vac and chuck it in your new tank.

Theres a huge array of bacteria and good things that will speed up your cycle significantly.

I never cycle the conventional way anymore. I usually seed new media in an established filter for a week or two and then just transfer it onto the new tank and chuck fish in right away.

 

[Jesse]

i forgot i also added like 30 percent of cycled watter from my 150 to the 75 when i filled it up

That won't make much difference at all. Nearly all of the necessary bacteria culture are present in your filter media and substrate, not free-swimming in water.