How do I cycle a tank?

[bettafishlover86]

Ok, so I am in a pretty sticky situation here. My 5-gallon fish tank broke, so I had to go to the store and get a 3.5-gallon fish tank for my male betta fish, 2 neon tetras, otocinclus catfish, and 2 ghost shrimp. Now I have a very tiny overstocked aquarium. I am pretty new to the hobby, and I just heard about cycling. I am getting a new 29-gallon fish tank on Christmas, but I don't want to have to keep my fish in the mini tank for the whole month of cycling. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can cycle the tank in a faster way so my fish don't have to suffer in the 3.5 gallon?

 

[NannaLou]

Have you still got the filter and other contents of the broken tank..? If so move it all across to the new tank, but check the water quality daily for a week or so to make sure there are no ammonia spikes. That’s my plan for changing tanks this weekend.

 

[bettafishlover86]

Have you still got the filter and other contents of the broken tank..? If so move it all across to the new tank, but check the water quality daily for a week or so to make sure there are no ammonia spikes. That’s my plan for changing tanks this weekend.

The filter for the 29 gallon is stronger than the one for my old 5 gallon. I was thinking of switching the filter cartridge but it uses a different cartridge too.

 

[Colin_T]

Did you have a filter on the tank that broke?
If yes, just put that filter on the new tank.

If you don't have an established biological filter, then reduce feeding to 2-3 times a week.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. This will help dilute any ammonia produced by the fish food.

Monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels and do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0ppm, or a nitrate reading above 20ppm.
Don't bother testing for nitrate until after the filter has cycled because nitrate test kits read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

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To help speed up the cycling process, do the following.

Have the top of the tank open to the air so bacteria can land on the water and help seed the tank. You can put a cover on the tank after it has cycled, or if you have fish that jump. It's also a good idea to reduce the water level by a couple of inches if you don't have a cover.

Increase the temperature to 28-30C if the fish don't mind warm water. Otherwise have it around 26C. The filter bacteria grow faster in warm water.

Increase aeration/ surface turbulence to maximise oxygen levels in the water.

Try to keep the pH close to 7.0 for the cycling process.

Add a liquid filter bacteria supplement. I recommend adding a double dose every day for a week and then pour the remaining contents into the tank. try to add the supplement near the filter intake so the bacteria get drawn into the filter.

Add some floating plants like Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides/ cornuta). They use ammonia and keep the levels down. You can also plant the Water Sprite in the gravel and it grows underwater too.

 

[NannaLou]

I hope someone with more experience than I have comes along to help…I’m wondering if putting to old cartridge near the new filter intake will work.. ? Loads of fast growing and floating plants to absorb as much ammonia as possible, daily testing and water changes..? Not ideal, but possibly best in the situation..?

 

[Circus]

You can double load the old and new cartridge together. Or even better, use sponge rather than cartridge in the new tank. Put in your new sponge and old cartridge in your new filter. Or run the two filters side by side for two months. Moving the substrate over will also help, as the hardscape and substrate hold beneficial bacteria as well. Adding bottled bacteria as well can help things along.

 

[ghyti]

Take the filter from the broken 5 gallon and put it in the 3-1/2. It is the filter that gets cycled not the water.
For the 29 when you get it. Filll with water. Put on the new 29 filter. Put in 4 ppm of ammonia. Wait until ammonia goes to, or near, zero. Keep ammonia at about 4 ppm.. After a week or so start to measure NitrIte. The nitrite will peak and then go down. After a couple weeks the Ammonia will go to zero in 24 hours, the Nitrite will stay at zero and the Nitrates will start to increase. That is when you are cycled. Do a large water change and put in all the fish. Don't add any more ammonia.