Cycling tanks

[Pop Eye]

Im moving around my tanks..

I set up a new 135 tank.. I had an XP3 and 2 AC 110 on my established tank.. for 2 weeks

I also moved about 8 big rocks from my established tank into the 135..

FIlled the 135 24 hours ago, Have the 3 filters above on the tank for 24 hours ..

Would u say my tank would be ready to put fish in??

Edited May 10, 2007 by Pop Eye

[Stacey]

Well I'd guess you'd probably have to try it and see............ Do you have Prime on hand? Anytime I get any ammonia after cloning a tank, I just add Prime for a few days and it's all good.

(You do know that if you do decide to use Prime to detoxify any ammonia present that it has to be added daily, right??)

[NatureNut]

I always test using pure ammonia before I put fish in my tanks. The tank has to be able to deal with 1-2 drops/gallon within 8 hours. Meaning ammonia and nitrites have to return to 0. If it doesn't return to 0, then that ammonia acts as food for the growing bacterial culture. I just try again the next day until it works. When I cycled my latest tanks with filter media that was from my cycled tank it took about 4 days for my 10g to be fully cycled and my 16g took about a week.

[Sam Chicklets]

If you the moved the filters and filled atleast 50% of the tank with seasoned water from your other tank it should be ok. If you used all new water then it may take a while.

[fatpuffer]

Why does the water matter? I thought as long as the water is treated it should be okay...most bacteria is in substrate, rocks, etc. and not really in water itself.

Please clarify...THANKS!

Js

[RD.]

Adding "seasoned water" won't make a lick of difference either way. For the most part the only thing that seasoned water will add is pollution.

Gina, it will all boil down to how well established the bio bacteria in those two filters have become over the past 2 weeks of running on your stocked tank, and how many fish you plan on initially adding to the new tank. If you want to give it a dry run, do a large water change using a sodium thiosulfate based water conditioner such as Hagen Aqua Plus, which with chloramine treated tap water (such as in Edmonton) will give you a substantial ammonia (free ammonia) spike shortly after the water change. Check how long it takes for your filters to utilize the resulting ammonia spike, and go from there. As it is, your bio bacteria will need a source of ammonia just to stay alive, so while you are waiting it would be best to be performing some water changes. 2 weeks really isn't that long for bio bacteria to become fully established on new filter media, so you might want to stock lightly for the first week, then slowly introduce more fish.

HTH

[corrosionjerry]

I agree the filters may have enough culture to carry the load.. However if you have or can get plants into the aquarium they will help tremendously as they really do take up the amonia nicely and with your partialy cycled tank will surely make all the difference... Riccia ,Hornwort any kind of floating plant that you can purchase or get from somebody online here cheaply and in quantity would be great..

[Vallisneria]

I always test out my tanks like naturenut mentioned. I add a bit of ammonia and then see if the filters can deal with it in 24hrs. If it can, I know its safe to add the fish. If it doesn' then you should probably wait a few days(while you keep adding ammonia to make sure the bacteria dont' die)

Its pretty much the last stages of doing a fishless cycle.

[RD.]

Yes, Naturenut's suggestion for adding pure ammonia was also spot on.

If you go that route Gina, just make sure that the ammonia you use contains no surfactants.

[Vallisneria]

Yes, Naturenut's suggestion for adding pure ammonia was also spot on.

If you go that route Gina, just make sure that the ammonia you use contains no surfactants.

I use Safeway brand, it just pure ammonia.

[Sam Chicklets]

Why does the water matter? I thought as long as the water is treated it should be okay...most bacteria is in substrate, rocks, etc. and not really in water itself.

Please clarify...THANKS!

Js

The water is already cycled then. With all new water it still needs to be cycled.

[RD.]

In essence it isn't the water that's being cycled, it's the bacteria in the filters that's being cycled.

If the new water is treated with a proper conditioner to remove any chlorine or chloramine, there is no need to cycle it. A tank can be maintained with no filters whatsoever, if the waste is siphoned off, and fresh pre-treated water is being added daily. As long as any resulting ammonia is being constantly flushed out, there is no need to cycle anything.

As an example, the 4000 liter concrete vats shown in the pic below can hold up to 300 Tropheus, and 150 O. Ventralis, and there is no filtration whatsoever. Just a constant supply of fresh water being pumped in 24/7.