Cycling A Tank ...

[fulltilt]

OK, is my logic ok here, or completely flawed ?

Most of the beneficial bacteria live in the filter, even in the foam of an internal filter (you know the one, fits completely within your tank - sucks water up and it exits at water level). So, if I was planning on getting a new tank, but already had the filter, could I run the filter in an existing tank and move the filter over when needed.

Would the same work for a hospital/quarantine tank ? ie. only run the tank when needed, but run the filter constantly in a tank that is always running.

 

[Squid]

I believe that is what some people do.. in effect, you are cloning the new filter. People recommend running the two filters side by side for a period of about 2 weeks for the process to complete.

Cheers
Squid

 

[rdd1952]

That would work well and as Squid said, waht a lot of people do. It won't completely cycle the tank but would give you seed bacteria to start. From what I am seeing in my first cycling experiment, getting the bacteria to start (we had a thread on where does the bacteria come from) is what seems to take so long. I am now thru 9 days with no change in ammonia and no nitrite yet.

 

[dgwebster]

tell me about it rdd, a full 28 days my tank took to get that seed to reduce the ammonia. once it was in there though, it plummeted like a rock off the top of the eiffel tower.

but *fingers crossed* i will have good new either tonight or tomorrow night. for the cycling of my tank. Im going to wait till the 28th jan however to add my fish, manually adding ammonia daily untill then, which should give it ample time as that is it practically fully cured - though its taken approx 16 hours to rid ammonia an nitrite, slightly longer than the 12 hours your guide gives. That will be a total of 8 weeks for a fishless cycle, working from zero source bacteria (well Nutrafin Cycle, but im not counting it.)

PS ive also noticed that Stress Zyme here states on the bottle "refrigeration not required" bu it does advise to keep the bottle below 26C. May give that stuff a shot when i buy my 4 footer, but then again, id like to just run the filter from the established that for a bit to start it off...

 

[Squid]

I have just started cycling my 180 litre tank rdd.. so i guess if i took one of the filter sponges from an old inhertited tank i have (with low bio-load - i.e. i brist. plec and 2 barbs) and squeezed it into my new tank/filter, then this may speed up the process eh..

I might get some of the bactinettes stuff on thursday to help too... see if that stuff works.

Squid