Set Up My Tank.. What Now?

[Jessman]

So i just bought a BiUrb tank, its second hand - but only 3 months old.
I dont really understand the filter on it, how does it work?
Anyway so i've filled the tank with water, squeezed the sponge from my other filter in the water, and ive added AquaSafe. What do i do now? How long will it take to cycle and what is the fastest way to do this as i want to get the fish in asap
Sorry i meant biube

 

[FreshwaterAfishianado]

Never owned a biorb before so I can't really help with how your specific filter works. As far as how long to wait before adding fish, get yourself a liquid test kit, the API master test kit is a decent one and you need to cycle the new filter. Cycling can take anywhere from 2 weeks or sometimes a few months. There is a whole section pinned in the "new to the hobby" section of this forum on cycling. But what it basically boils down to is feeding the bacteria in your filter pure ammonia until it has a large enough bacterial colony to convert it into nitrite and then into nitrate within.about 12 hours.

 

[Jessman]

How would i feed the bacteria?
How long do you think till i am able to put fish in the tank?
The tank also came with ceramic media, and i have put established bacteria from my other filter into the tank, should all this speed the cycling process up?

 

[FreshwaterAfishianado]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/#entry2300022

Read this, yes adding the beneficial bacteria from your other filter will speed it up but you still may need to be patient. Waiting an extra week to stock is better than losing all of the fish you added too early due to ammonia poisoning.

 

[CJH0825]

So i just bought a BiUrb tank, its second hand - but only 3 months old.
I dont really understand the filter on it, how does it work?
Anyway so i've filled the tank with water, squeezed the sponge from my other filter in the water, and ive added AquaSafe. What do i do now? How long will it take to cycle and what is the fastest way to do this as i want to get the fish in asap
Sorry i meant biube

I don't think anyone caught the " squeezed the sponge from my other filter in the water " part. If I remember correctly, Just squeezing it in the water won't really do much. Would be better if you could put the sponge in the filter itself.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

CJ- you are correct about the media itself being the better option. However, squeezing will still gives one a better start than doing nothing. Sometimes it isn't possible to move over the media, and squeezing is the only option. I have used this method before.
 
The single most important way to speed any cycle is to add bacteria at the outset. The more one can add, the faster the cycle will be in place. This is the case for two reasons, the most important of which is to have some number of nitrite oxidizing bacteria present at the start. The other reason is the simple math of doubling.
 
10x2 = 20          5x2 = 10
20x2 = 40        10x2 = 20
40x2 = 80        20x2 = 40
80x2 = 160      40x2 = 80
 
The difference between the two totals gets really big really fast. (Bacteria numbers are in the millions.)
 
If you have nitrite oxidizers in any number at the start, this really jump starts the second stage of the cycle. And here, where the reproduction rate is slower, you are really getting a boost. With decent seeding, nitrite will not spike the way ammonia did. As the AOB start to make the nitrite, the NOB are there to start consuming it before it can build up. Ammonia only gets high because we put a bunch in all at once.
 
Jess- there is no way to know how much bacteria you got into the new tank. What you can know is that your cycle should be faster than without it. Get the test kits and an ammonia source and take the steps to get your tank cycled. Patience is the hardest fish keeping skill to master. Cycling isn't a race, it is a way to keep your fish healthy by creating a good environment in which they can live.

 

[Jessman]

Wow all this is confusing haha. How do i get nitrite oxidizers?
And i couldnt put the sponge in my filter because they are different shapes so it wouldnt fit

 

[kevingrods]

thats a sweet tank

 

[TwoTankAmin]

They nitrite consuming bacteria get into your tank the same way the ammonia ones do. It really isn't all that confusing.
 
If you can add any amount of bacteria (and that will be both kinds) it speeds things up. The more you can add at the start, the more it speeds things up. That is the point of the basic math example. Look at that number example as a race to 150. the left column hits it in 4 steps, the right columns needs another 4 steps to get there.
 
Normally the cycle goes in two basic stages, first you build up the ammonia guys and then you build up the nitrite guys. Start with some of each and it is no longer one, then the other, its both at the same time. And this also is why the cycle goes faster if you can start with more bacteria.
 
Squeezing a sponge is a way to get some more bacteria in at the start. But it is not a great way, so you wont get that much. Still, it will help.

 

[Jessman]

Ok thank you.
What about the instant cylcling stuff you can get at petshops? Are they good for anything?