Filter Cycle

[lfckopite]

Hi just a quick question how long dos it takes to cycle a new filter in a established tank

 

[Colin_T]

about 4 weeks.

however, if you add some old established filter material to the new filter it will establish in about 2 weeks.

 

[LosC519]

I cycled my tank in 9 days with the help of Seachem Stability.

 

[lfckopite]

about 4 weeks.

however, if you add some old established filter material to the new filter it will establish in about 2 weeks.

Thanks how will i know when it is established or is this 4 weeks guaranteed

 

[Colin_T]

The 4 weeks is not guaranteed but is usually pretty close. It can take less time in warmer water or more time in cooler water. 4 weeks is about average.
The only way to test the filter is to put it in a separate tank or container of water and add some ammonia to the tank. Then monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels and see what happens to them. They should drop pretty quickly if the filters have established. You only need to get the ammonia levels to about 1ppm for the test.

 

[waterdrop]

In an established tank with fish, you'll know its cycled when the morning tests for Ammonia and Nitrite come up at Zero parts per million for two days in a row.

If you have fish in an uncycled tank, you should be testing with a liquid-based kit for these two substances at least once (or more times) a day. Detection at any level tells you the long-term health of the fish is being damaged and deaths could occur with longer, higher-level exposures.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lfckopite]

Hi thanks to you all i am setting up a hospital tank and i needed to be sure about the filter before i put any fish in there. So i just leave filter in established tank for 4 weeks cheers

 

[Colin_T]

If the hospital tank is going to be treated you are better off using Ammogon in the filter. It absorbs ammonia from the water and means you don't have to worry about the filter bacteria dieing from the medication. It also allows you to set up a quarantine tank any time you want and not have to wait for the filters to mature.
Ammogon can be recharged by soaking it in salt water.

 

[lfckopite]

If the hospital tank is going to be treated you are better off using Ammogon in the filter. It absorbs ammonia from the water and means you don't have to worry about the filter bacteria dieing from the medication. It also allows you to set up a quarantine tank any time you want and not have to wait for the filters to mature.
Ammogon can be recharged by soaking it in salt water.

I bought a cheap filter for the hospital tank and only has 1 little white sponge

 

[Colin_T]

I normally use a box filter or an Aquaclear HOB for quarantine tanks. They have a sponge to trap the rubbish and a big bag of ammogon in them. They are left to dry between uses and when required are simply filled with clean dechlorinated water and the filter & heater turned on. Then the fish go in and spend a couple of weeks in there until I think they are clean enough to go in the other tanks.
When they have been moved I drain the tank and rinse it and the filter out and leave it to dry. The ammogon gets recharged and left to dry ready for next time.

 

[lfckopite]

I normally use a box filter or an Aquaclear HOB for quarantine tanks. They have a sponge to trap the rubbish and a big bag of ammogon in them. They are left to dry between uses and when required are simply filled with clean dechlorinated water and the filter & heater turned on. Then the fish go in and spend a couple of weeks in there until I think they are clean enough to go in the other tanks.
When they have been moved I drain the tank and rinse it and the filter out and leave it to dry. The ammogon gets recharged and left to dry ready for next time.

The filter i am useing is eheim internal filter 2007