I need to cycle a 10 gallon

[pnyklr3]

I am going to set up my 10 gallon as a fry grow-out tank (I will actually be hatching the eggs there too). At this point I am going to keep it bare-bottomed.

Which way will be faster to cycle:

1. Just set it up, add some ammonia or fish food, and let it run its course (how long does that take?).
2. Put the filter media into my established tank (and for how long) and then just add it to the 10 gallon and go.
3. Put some gravel in a bag from my tank to help out (once again...how long lol).
4. Set up the tank and add a few tetras from my established tank to get it off and running.

Like many "newbies" (I have been keeping fish for about a year and a half) 2 tanks that I have owned were cycled with fish. I had no idea about fishless cycles. The funny thing is, I had never had any deaths, so I am assuming that I was lucky. I also never tested for anything with my 10 gallon tank...this just started when I got my 55 gallon I would just let the lfs do it if I had a problem.

 

[Tolak]

The 10 gallon is 1/5 the capacity of your 55 gallon. Take 1/5 of the established media out of the 55 gallon filter, put it in the 10 gallon filter. Instant cycled tank.

Tolak

 

[Sorrell]

Run an additional filter on your 55 for 2 weeks and then transfer it to the 10 gallon when you add the fish

 

[asparagus]

See if your lfs carries bio-spira. I havent used it (yet) but it has some really great reviews.
Add the stuff in (its live bacteria) add a full load of fish w/in 24 hours and vavoom. cycled tank.
If you want to wait till the week of 12/13 Ill give you my personal experience.

 

[teacherspet]

I did a combination of what tolak and sorrell mentioned. I didn't have enough media as it sounds like you might have the ability to use... only had a 20 gallon and was setting up a 10. I just took a handful and put it in a stocking, ran additional filter in the old tank for 2 weeks, added the filter and stocking media (just laid it on the floor of new tank) into the new tank, and it was completely cycled with one fish in about 2 weeks. The ammonia and nit. only went up to .5 max through the whole process. Good luck. There is a good discussion somewhere on here about cloning a tank. I just followed those instructions and it worked like a charm.

 

[gale]

I did a combination of what tolak and sorrell mentioned. I didn't have enough media as it sounds like you might have the ability to use... only had a 20 gallon and was setting up a 10. I just took a handful and put it in a stocking, ran additional filter in the old tank for 2 weeks, added the filter and stocking media (just laid it on the floor of new tank) into the new tank, and it was completely cycled with one fish in about 2 weeks. The ammonia and nit. only went up to .5 max through the whole process. Good luck. There is a good discussion somewhere on here about cloning a tank. I just followed those instructions and it worked like a charm.

When the ammonia and nitrites were up during that week did you do water changes? I have an established tank but I think it's going through a mini cycle (long story) so I don't know that it would do me any good to use the media. I have bio spira on order but if it ends up being too cold to ship it I'll have to try cloning anyway.

 

[Fishy411]

if you put the tetra's in to cycle your tank they will probably die. I think running the extra filter on your 55 is the best idea. More fish waste in a 55 + Extra filter = extra clean 55 and fully cycled 10

 

[boom-sage]

yes use filter media. its the best way. bout you can also use water, decor, or substrate. filter media may cloud your water.

 

[pnyklr3]

The 10 gallon is an eclipse tank, so I couldn't really run the filter on the 55. Could I just toss the bio wheel in the tank and let it sit for awhile, or do bio wheels need to spin to grow that bacteria?

 

[BobK]

Hey Gale, I'd add some media from the established tank and keep up with the water changes until the mini-cycle is over.