Cycling!

[Clarousel]

I'm planning to start a tank specially for shrimp, probably a 5 gallon.

I was thinking of using substrate and media filter from my main tank so this would give me some bacteria to start off with.

What I'm wondering is, should I do a fishless cycle or cycle with fish? I would like to try a fishless cycle so I won't have to worry about what fish to get (since it's a 5g tank) but I'm not sure if ammonia is readily found here...

If I have to go with cycling with fish, is it okay to put 1 of my male swordtails in there? I've been wanting to separate him from the main tank cause he's so scared

 

[This Old Spouse]

If you use media from your established tank you shouldn't have to "cycle" it at all. I usually run my new tank with old media for a couple of hours then add fish. I haven't ever had a problem doing this.

 

[Delloy12]

This gonna sound stupid but were Is the media, Is it in the filter?

 

[This Old Spouse]

The media is the cotton wool or floss or ceramic pieces (noodles) or sponge material that catches all that gunk from the water. What it also does is house the bacteria that feeds off the ammonia and nitrite that hurts the fish so that you have a nicely cycled tank that keeps your fish healthy and happy.

 

[Clarousel]

If you use media from your established tank you shouldn't have to "cycle" it at all. I usually run my new tank with old media for a couple of hours then add fish. I haven't ever had a problem doing this.

Really! Okay I sound dumb now haha. Shall do that when I get all my equipment!

@Delloy12: whoops! I meant filter media. Too excited about all the shrimp business

 

[Clarousel]

I realised I may not have enough substrate from my main tank to go into the 5 gal tank. Would there be sufficient bacteria from just the filter media or should I try to mix in some substrate at least?

Also, the male swordtail I mentioned above died this morning. Think from too much stress. I was too late!

 

[Miles_hot]

unless you have a Under Gravel FIlter in the existing tank the substrate will have very little bacteria in it in relation to the filter media. You can take 1/3 of the filter media from the existing tank (assuming it is a reasonably mature one) to seed or possibly even fill the new filter (depending on the size of the new and old tanks).

HTH

Miles

 

[Clarousel]

unless you have a Under Gravel FIlter in the existing tank the substrate will have very little bacteria in it in relation to the filter media. You can take 1/3 of the filter media from the existing tank (assuming it is a reasonably mature one) to seed or possibly even fill the new filter (depending on the size of the new and old tanks).

HTH

Miles

Alright I'll stick with filter media then Thanks for your help! Oh like what This Old Spouse said, I can just use the established media and run it for awhile before adding fish right? Although I haven't decided whether I do want to add fish first or just go with the shrimps straight..

 

[Miles_hot]

use the established media from the old tank (or a third of it if you still intend to use the old tank) and do a fishless cycle (i.e. add ammonia) to prove that it is all OK.

Miles

 

[Clarousel]

use the established media from the old tank (or a third of it if you still intend to use the old tank) and do a fishless cycle (i.e. add ammonia) to prove that it is all OK.

Miles

Where can you get ammonia though? I don't live in US or UK so...

 

[This Old Spouse]

use the established media from the old tank (or a third of it if you still intend to use the old tank) and do a fishless cycle (i.e. add ammonia) to prove that it is all OK.

Miles

You don't need to "prove" that it's all OK, just test after a couple of hours, once the tank has a chance to cycle the water through the filter media a few times. Then you can add your shrimp. This is what I just did two days ago for a quarantine tank.

 

[Miles_hot]

Old - how do you know that it is all OK? If you're not putting a source of ammonia in for the new filter to process are you not just hoping that all will be OK? If it isn't the first that you know is when you're in a fish in cycle?

 

[This Old Spouse]

If I'm putting established filter media in my new filter, then putting in my fish, I don't need any other source of ammonia.

 

[fluttermoth]

If the tank isn't needed in an emergency (in which case you just have to hope for the best) I 'prove' my tanks by letting them sit with a pinch of fish food in for a week or so; test that I have an ammonia reading and add my matured media last thing at night. Then I test again first thing in the morning, and if the ammonia's gone, you know you're good to go.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I haven't found the need to test my mature media, but if you do then that's fine.