Do I Still Need To Cycle It?

[Fate2006]

Ok Friday I'm getting a 5gallon tank (for a DP) and filling it with water from my 29gallon tank that's been set up for at least 8months... I'm still going to add water conditioner but should I add bacteria supplement? Also do I need to cycle it? if so would 2 days be long enough since it's mature water?

 

[Squid]

Pardon my stupidty, but whats a DP?

Mature tank water doesn't really count for much when it comes to whether a tank is cycled or not. I would recommend cloning the filter by running the new one along side the old one for a couple of weeks. If that is not possible, is it possible to take some of the media from the old filter and use it in the new one.

In other words, the tank will need cycling.


Squid..

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

transfer of filtermedia would give you an instant cycle

 

[Fate2006]

transfer of filtermedia would give you an instant cycle

Good I've got a 10gallon whisper internal filter that's been running for about 4 months, I'll use that to cycle it thx much for the answer, anybody else I'd still like to here you opinions

 

[YoungFishBreeder]

Pardon my stupidty, but whats a DP?

Mature tank water doesn't really count for much when it comes to whether a tank is cycled or not. I would recommend cloning the filter by running the new one along side the old one for a couple of weeks. If that is not possible, is it possible to take some of the media from the old filter and use it in the new one.

In other words, the tank will need cycling.


Squid..

I think dp is Display Picture, but that dosent make sense... in the way that he uses it

 

[Fate2006]

She?! I'm a guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DP is dwarf puffer! SHE.......... *stabs you in the leg* Read my profile before you call me a she! No worries though Oh and forgot to tell you in my Pm to you squid... your stupid you told me to

 

[Darkmoon Bettas]

Ok Friday I'm getting a 5gallon tank (for a DP) and filling it with water from my 29gallon tank that's been set up for at least 8months... I'm still going to add water conditioner but should I add bacteria supplement? Also do I need to cycle it? if so would 2 days be long enough since it's mature water?

Relatively little bacteria is contained in the water itself. The vast majority is in the gravel, and in the filter media. If you can transfer some gravel and/or used filter media, that'll essentially "clone" the smaller tank into a 'mature' tank right away. Adding aged water will not help nearly as much--that alone might cut a week off a normal 4 week cycle, at the absolute most.

 

[andywg]

Cloning will not create a mature tank, only a cycled tank. Mature means a tank that has been up and running for a good 6 months and as such has had any possible early crashes or swings in attributes ironed out of it.

 

[YoungFishBreeder]

She?! I'm a guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DP is dwarf puffer! SHE.......... *stabs you in the leg* Read my profile before you call me a she! No worries though Oh and forgot to tell you in my Pm to you squid... your stupid you told me to

As you can see I edited the post before you posted yours....

 

[Fate2006]

Not before I read it ^^ no worries... okay the problem with the gravel is that I'll be using sand as my substrate... (always wanted to try sand) Also, I'll be heavily planting the tank, is 10 plants considered heavily planted in a 5gallon tank?? Also can anyone tell me around how long my cycle will take with plants and matured filter media???


Edit---> One more thing... everybody says theirs little bacteria in water... Okay, but doesn't the water help because it's from a matured tank? all the water chemistry is good... 0 ammonia, 0 chlorine, 7.2ph, 120 alkalinity, 150 GH... ( i live in an area that has realativly hard water)... so isn't this helping? Also I don't need water conditioner since the entire tank is clean right

 

[andywg]

One more thing... everybody says theirs little bacteria in water... Okay, but doesn't the water help because it's from a matured tank? all the water chemistry is good... 0 ammonia, 0 chlorine, 7.2ph, 120 alkalinity, 150 GH... ( i live in an area that has realativly hard water)... so isn't this helping? Also I don't need water conditioner since the entire tank is clean right

But then tap water is identical to tank water (if you perform regular water changes) with the exception of lacking in nitrates which tank water will have. You want the bacteria which is located on the filter media, not water stats which shoud be identical to the tap water.

 

[Fate2006]

yes, however when I do a water change I estimate how much water I've removed and add coniditioner into the tank...

Edit---> The water stats of the tank differ from my tap water because of my fish and chemicals in the water (ph buffer) my tap water has a ph of 8.2 and my tank is 7.2... Also, water conditioner helps protect the slim coat and makes water safe for fish... Oh and cholirine (small bit) is pressent in all tap water! Water chemistry is entirly different... and I know all this.......... I said that it still helps regardless, guess you missed it, because my water is already leveled...

NOW my question is if anybody knows how long this cycle will take with mature media and lots of plants?!

 

[andywg]

yes, however when I do a water change I estimate how much water I've removed and add coniditioner into the tank...

Edit---> The water stats of the tank differ from my tap water because of my fish and chemicals in the water (ph buffer) my tap water has a ph of 8.2 and my tank is 7.2... Also, water conditioner helps protect the slim coat and makes water safe for fish... Oh and cholirine (small bit) is pressent in all tap water! Water chemistry is entirly different... and I know all this.......... I said that it still helps regardless, guess you missed it, because my water is already leveled...

The water conditioners help protect the slime coat by containing an irritant that causes the fishes' body to react to the irritation (somewhat like having a permanent itch) by producing more slime coat. It is not necessary by any means. The chlorine will be dealt with by the water conditioner and if you add the buffer to the new tap water you have water of the same levels as tank water, just wihtout the slightly toxic nitrate.

So long as the new water is dechlorinated and has the same pH and temp as the original tank there is no benefit from using the old water.

NOW my question is if anybody knows how long this cycle will take with mature media and lots of plants?!

With enough mature media the tank will instantly cycle, that is why it is called cloning.

 

[Fate2006]

Okay.... your saying instantly... (also thx for all the great help so far I feel stupid ) anyways! So an "instant" cycle, so what your saying I run the filiter for 30seconds and boom it's done? I don't think that can be?! How long will it take with mature media? I was thinking somewhere along the line of line a day or 2?

 

[GordonTGopher]

Okay.... your saying instantly... (also thx for all the great help so far I feel stupid ) anyways! So an "instant" cycle, so what your saying I run the filiter for 30seconds and boom it's done? I don't think that can be?! How long will it take with mature media? I was thinking somewhere along the line of line a day or 2?

I think that by transferring the mature media you have about enough bacteria to support the same bioload as the 'donor' tank, so to that extent yes, it's instant.
I transferred my fish and ran my old filter in my new tank (at the same time as the new one) with no effect on levels, only a slight blip two weeks later when I took the old filter out and the new ones bacterial collonies had to expand to 'take up the slack'

Gordon