Second Tank to assist cycling?

[bookseller]

Any drawbacks with this idea?

I have new 10 gal tank with fish and I was thinking about second 10 gal tank to "play" with. Set it up and try growing plants (no fish initially)...

Then it hit me... since I'm cycling my first 10 gal tank why not let original tank set until ammonia gets high and then transfer fish to new second tank. A week later when ammonica gets high in second tank put fish back in original tank which will now be converting to nitrites/nitrates...

What flaws am I missing...Surely a tank exchange is easier on fish than the high ammonia??

 

[impur]

Without the fish in the cycling tank, there will be no waste being produced for the bacteria to feed on. You need to keep the fish in there for the entire cycle, after the ammonia spikes then you are on the nitrite part of the cycle. I would do this: after the tank is fully cycled, ie all parameters are 0, take a bit of the gravel from the cycled tank and possible a large rock, or decoration you may have in there, and put it in the new tank. You can put the gravel in a pantyhose sock and set it in the filter. Also, depending on your filter, use some of the filter media from the cycled tank. This may not be an option because 10 gal tanks usually use filters with 1 cartridge.

 

[bookseller]

Well, due to a bad test kit (Jungle Brand Quick Dips) for Ammonia my first round of "cycling" was complete failure. When I got a good test kit the Ammonia was almost off the scale 8.0 or higher! I freaked and dumped 80% of the water. Fish died (all but two neons) anyway.

Jungle Brand Quick Strips do not work. (I even email them and told them I was getting "gray" rather than yellish to green... They said gray was OK!! I then used good kit and levels were 8.0 or higher)

So now I'm basically starting over with the cycle. Ammonia is .25 today.

Without the fish in the cycling tank, there will be no waste being produced for the bacteria to feed on

But why couldn't I remove the fish (at least some of them) to the "new" tank once Ammonia was established? Surely Ammonia levels don't die out that quickly once the fish are gone? (Could be .. I really don't know.)

 

[impur]

Well the ammonia spiking is only part of the cycle. The fish produce waste and ammonia. As the ammonia increases, bacteria grows that will feed off it. These bacteria in turn create nitrites. The ammonia will spike at that point more and more ammonia eating bacteria will grow to consume it. The level will decline steadily till it is 0. While these bacteria are feeding on the ammonia they produce the nitrites. You will then see your nitrites begin to rise. They will peak as well (after the ammonia spike) and nitrite eating bacteria will consume nitrites and bring that level down. These bacteria give off nitrates as a byproduct, and in turn nitrates are removed by water changes.

If you remove the fish after the ammonia spike, there will be less ammonia being produced. This will lead to some of the bacteria starving and dieing off. Then there will be less to produce nitrites. So if effect you will lengthen your cycle considerably.

I think that if you follow my previous suggestion you will have 2 tanks up and running in less time than the way you are thinking.

Hope this help and is not to confusing.