forget cycling?

[gr8kingrat]

A reader wrote to Aquarium Fish magazine asking about cycling...this was the responce.

Once you have one reasonably sized tank with a good biological filter, there is no reason to ever cycle any new tank (even a fish-only tank) again. Simply run the filter intended for the new tank on the older tank for a week or so, then transfer it.

then he/she goes on to say..

When a new tank is being set up, all we need to do is move one of these sponges to the filter on the new tank. Voila-instant, fully operational biological filter, with no cycle required. I havent cycled a tank with or without plants in close to 20 years.



so what do you thing??

 

[DrOizo]

Yep that sounds perfectly reasonable.
The other tank that the sponge comes from might have a mini cycle but transplanting sponges and gravel is common practice when cycling a new tank.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

It's true, but you still don't want to fully stock the new tank in one go.

 

[DrOizo]

Yep thats true also
The gravel wouldn't contain all the benificial bacateria and the tank ornaments/rocks/pebbles wouldn't either

 

[MAM]

i've used that method. worked great.

 

[CFC]

Certainly true, you only ever need cycle a tank once and all others can be cycled from transplants.

 

[DrOizo]

I would have to say thats how nearly all People cycle a new tank. By introducing the bacteria from an established aquarium then you have an insatnt matured bacteria culture. It would seem silly not to. Also Coem tot hink about it how would the bacteria get into a new tank in the first place if you didn't seed it?

 

[gr8kingrat]

OK, good..beacuse thats what i did recently. So far so good...

 

[rollntider]

I am about to start a 5.5 gallon tank (after i decide what to put in it) and will start my new filter running in the established tank for a week or two before I start it.

 

[drobbins27]

I am about to start a 5.5 gallon tank (after i decide what to put in it) and will start my new filter running in the established tank for a week or two before I start it.

is that not overkill...

 

[DrOizo]

No not at all. It takes some time for the bacteria to become established on a sponge.

 

[rollntider]

I am about to start a 5.5 gallon tank (after i decide what to put in it) and will start my new filter running in the established tank for a week or two before I start it.

is that not overkill...

i would doubt it as stated above me it wil take some time to get it established , plus it will help filter my curent tank a little better.(even though I may be over filtering it currently ) What would you suggest as ample time to establish the bio filter?

 

[DrOizo]

I would be inclined to say about 2-3 weeks to be on the safe side. The longer the better. Although a slight crash might occur in the tank that you remove the filter from. This should be fairly negligable though

 

[rollntider]

I would be inclined to say about 2-3 weeks to be on the safe side. The longer the better. Although a slight crash might occur in the tank that you remove the filter from. This should be fairly negligable though

i got two of the whisper double pad filters on the 55 gallon now (i think it is called the power 3?) so I think I am cool for biological plus I change only 1 filter pad a week in rotation so I think I will be safe from crashing my current tank. well I will put that bad puppy on there tonight cause it will take me 3 weeks to find my fish i want if I am lucky

 

[DrOizo]

You change the blue sponges once a week? That seems strange. You should only have to change the wool or 'crud catcher' filter. The blue ones should only be changed if they get completely gummed up or something. Or have I misinterpreted?

Sorry when I say blue I'm talking about the blue ones in a juwel aquarium. I mean the pads in which the baceria is supposed to live e.g bio balls, blue foam etc.