Cycling

[Fishnut]

Hi there, I have set up and am cycling another aquarium this week and would like some input on how long to go with it. It is a 55 gal that I have put an Aquaclear 70/300 filter on with a good bacteria build-up from one of my other aquariums along with several plants and decorations as well. It currently has 5 barbs and a dozen zebra danios (1 in) in it for the cycling. The danios are only in there for a couple days and then will go to another cycling 55. I will be putting mbuna's into the tank but don't want to do so until it is safe for them. Some advise would be nice.

Thanks.

[Kevin]

Hi there, I have set up and am cycling another aquarium this week and would like some input on how long to go with it. It is a 55 gal that I have put an Aquaclear 70/300 filter on with a good bacteria build-up from one of my other aquariums along with several plants and decorations as well. It currently has 5 barbs and a dozen zebra danios (1 in) in it for the cycling. The danios are only in there for a couple days and then will go to another cycling 55. I will be putting mbuna's into the tank but don't want to do so until it is safe for them. Some advise would be nice.

Thanks.

The easiest way to tell is by buying an ammonia test kit. Take the older filter off and see what you test after 24 hours with just the new filter. Otherwise you are taking your chances. Most of the time an established filter will cycle a tank very quickly (within a week) IME, but why take a chance.

Kevin

[Fishnut]

The old filter will be staying on this tank and will do ammonia testing daily. I did also just change the ammonia pack today. Of course I am just anxious to get fish in the tank, but better safe than sorry.

Thanks for the advice.

[Toirtis]

Lose the 'ammonia pack', add fish slowly, keep up on the water changes....with the swapped-in cycled media, the tank should be fully capable of a light bio-load immediately, but will need to be ramped-up slowly.

[Shai]

with the swapped-in cycled media, the tank should be fully capable of a light bio-load immediately, but will need to be ramped-up slowly.

Agreed. In the meantime you should be priming the AC70 by running it on another established tank or by putting its sponge in a filter that is running on an established tank so that it uptakes bacteria for itself. Once this is done you can run both filters on the 55g for a couple of weeks to make sure the bacteria have established well.

[cichlidkid]

have you got any other tanks? using water/some ( in the filter) and a ac 500 that was from my 110. I had the water good enough (and most importantly stable enough) for a retic ray in 2.5 days.

if you take stuff from established tanks it makes it allot easier and faster. live plants seem to really help as well.

[Sam Chicklets]

I used to do water changes on established tanks and put the water in the new tank to speed the cycling. I'm just cycling a 75g tank using ac 500 with Scotchbrite pads for media 30% water from w/c filled on sunday and ready today.

[Fishnut]

I do have other tanks but didn't use any water from them which would have been a good idea. All deco came from happy cycled tanks. No live plants though, it will have mbunas in it. Great destroyers. I tested ammonia and nitrite today and both are at 0 after 8 days of running.