How Long To Cycle Water In A 250l Tank?

[stevo_gti]

i was bit iffy about it aswel but if no one on here has heard of them it just helps me make up my mind ill look into few canister ones then and seperate heater but the tetra tec ex1200 sounds ok

 

[Davo86]

i was bit iffy about it aswel but if no one on here has heard of them it just helps me make up my mind ill look into few canister ones then and seperate heater but the tetra tec ex1200 sounds ok

funnily enough thats what i use on my 240L, they are great filters

 

[stevo_gti]

ill have to have a look round tomorrow at prices cheapest i can find on internet is £63 so its not that bad rathe spend that than risk £35 on that other then need ot buy something else

 

[stevo_gti]

i think im going to have gravel in the 250L tank anyway as i think it will be easier to clean for me than sand (would like sand in it though) so would transfering the gravel out the 60l into the other tank with some new gravel make the cycle faster as there will be bacteria in the old gravel?

 

[petertr]

Remember that the HOB filter will only have a percentage of the bacteria needed to support the bioload - as the under gravel filter is also contributing.



I would still go with the suggestions on here though:

Fill new tank, dechlor the water and bring up to temperature.
Switch your new filter on (I assume you are going to buy a new one) and leave for a couple of days to settle.
Then add the HOB filter to the new tank
Immediately after this, move the fish over.


This will go through a mini cycle - so you need to be doing daily water changes - you will need a good liquid test kit to manage this. I suggest an API Mater kit. Keep the ammonia and Nitrite down by changing water.


After about a month, the new filter you bought should be the dominant source of bacteria (as it will be significanly larger with a higher throughput) so you can remove the HOB.
You may get another mini-cycle then - so make sure to check with the test kit and do extra water changes where needed.


Good Luck!

i think im going to have gravel in the 250L tank anyway as i think it will be easier to clean for me than sand (would like sand in it though) so would transfering the gravel out the 60l into the other tank with some new gravel make the cycle faster as there will be bacteria in the old gravel?

Moving the gravel across will have very little effect - it works with the UG Filter - without this its fairly useless as a bacteria source.

Might be an idea to bag up some of it in some tights, and put them in your new cannister filter - it will speed up the 1 month I mentioned above.

(Although after the month, I'd replace this with a more useful media, such as ceramic loops)

 

[stevo_gti]

i already have an api master test kit and i ordered all new equipment for this tank earlier (tetratec ex 1200 filter tetra aps400 air pump and rena 300w smart heater) also brought an arcadia T5 lighting unit.

ill give this way a try and keep an eye on the levels then but i already have a tank running so im not in a rush so just gonna be a case of being patient i think