new tank

[jus_sum_guy]

was wondering if the following method would be a good idea.

I currently have a 30g tank setup and running for almost a year. I'm about to setup a 10g. The next time i do a water change on the 30g, is it alright to put some of that water into the 10g then just top it off with tap water?? I figured this way i wouldn't have to go through the whole cycling thing with the 10g. This way i can add fish a few days later instead of like a few weeks.

[bozco]

as I understand it that would not work the way you want it too.

You would just be putting dirty water in the new tank, where as the bacteria you need for your tank to properly cycle grows in the filter, on the gravel and on decor in your tank.

Running the filter of your new tank on the old one for a few weeks and moving some gravel from the old tank to the new tank would be ways to make the cycle go faster. Fishless cycling is also a comparitively fast methods, especially if you have a number of healthy plants in the tank.

[Ryan]

bozco dont get a head of yourself here. Now by a water change does he mean just the water because like u said that wouldnt work. But if he siphoned off the gravel then dumped it in their it would work. It would siphon up bacteria. I would run a sponge filter in your main tank though for times like these. Then you can just use the sponge filter to help cycle the tank. But i dont see what the rush is. I just came off saltwater do you know what the cycle of a SW tank. Minimum 6 weeks. The common FW tank will cycle in 2 weeks. Just go buy yourself some guppies or some zebra danios and cycle it like that. JMO

Ryan :ml:

[Smokey]

jus_sum_guy;

boxco is 100% correct. I agree.

If you want to speed cycle a new tank - you have to introduce the bio-bacteria from an established filter media/foam.

Actually - water alone carries little to no actual bio-bacteria.

The bio-bacteria colonize on the surface of objects. This is why a bio-foam is so efficient - huge amounts of surface area.

One other way - you could squeeze an established bio-foam into a new tank , this is supposed to transfere bacteria to the new tank. Sort of a hit an miss method.

the bacteria will still need nh3 to survive.

So, set up the 10g. introduce bio-bacteria, let the 10g's sponge/filter media absorb the bacteria and introduce one or two small fish. The fish will supply the needed ammonia which will feed the bacteria.

The bacteria will grow, multiply.

Do not overfeed the fish!

and have the NH3 and NO2 test kits handy. if either spike do a good W/C. to reduce them.

A NO3 test kit will tell you when the tank has cycled.

Starting up a new tank can be frustating / and lethal; if not proberly monitered.

Go slow. Time is on your side.

Smokey