Best Way To Cycle A New Filter?

[benjoey]

Hi Ive got a new filter for what will be my 20L shrimp tank, is the best way to cycle the filter to run it in my current tank or to put the filter material in my current filter?

 

[Carlovel1]

I would transfer all of the filter material from your current filter to your new filter and visa versa

 

[Ashers]

Are you keeping the current tank aswell? If so only transfer a third of the filter material to the new one.

 

[benjoey]

sorry yes I am keeping the current tank. Only problem in exchanging filter material is that the new fiter is pretty small compared to my current filter.

 

[Ashers]

Just put as much filter material in as you can without causing flow problems AND without taking more than a third of the current filters material.

 

[anon02]

If you do transfer some mature media to your new filter dont assume that it will be cycled straight off, dose with 5 ppm household ammonia and test after 12 hours or you could lose your new stock

 

[benjoey]

I should have mentioned aswell I've got a week until i'm going to need the new filter in my 20L tank, /?I currently have it running in my 110L tank. would it be ok to run it for a week then transfer it to the 20L and transfer 20L's of tank water with it, and add my shrimp then?

 

[anon02]

I should have mentioned aswell I've got a week until i'm going to need the new filter in my 20L tank, /?I currently have it running in my 110L tank. would it be ok to run it for a week then transfer it to the 20L and transfer 20L's of tank water with it, and add my shrimp then?

The safest course of action before introducing livestock to any new environment is to test the water parameters

There are no short cuts

Only a tiny proportion of the beneficial bacteria will be in the mature water