Suggestions...

[Videl]

I have a 7 gal tank in the process of cycling. I have male betta in the tank as my first fish. He is doing well, very hardy. Is there a way to speed up the cycling process. Can i siphon water from my cycled, stocked 15 gallon and place the siphoned water in my 7 gallon?
Would it be much faster? Do i have to take out the betta and place him in another spare gallon tank before i place the siphoned water in the 7 gal. Will this method speed up the cycling process???

 

[SkiFletch]

If you have a cycled tank you're in luck cause you can greatly speed up the process. The best way to do it would be to exchange filter media or gravel along with some water from the cycled tank to the uncycled one. Dont put any water from your betta's uncycled tank into the established one as you could risk disease contaimination of your established tank.

There are many ways to exchange filter media or gravel but a lot depends on the type of filtration in both tanks. If for example you have a UGF (under gravel filter) in both tanks you can swap carbon filter tops between the two. If you use sponge filters you might want to give the sponge from the established one a squeeze into the new one as sponges have a lot of beneficial bacterial in them. Finally if you have an overhang filter with a few differnt sliding cartriges in them try putting one of those pieces inyour uncycled tank.

If none of those ideas seem easy or appealing to you you can take some gravel from the established tank, put it in a sock or other cloth pouch (prefferrably clean ) that you rinse first with tank water. then put an airstone inside the rocks inside the sock. Turn it on and leave it for a few hours-day to help grow the good stuff.

Hope those ideas help

 

[Videl]

Good suggestions SkiFletch. So does what your saying is to speed up the cycling process, one way to do so is to exchange filters (i.e. to put the filter from the cycled tank into the uncycled tank.) What do i do with the new filter?? Do i put the new filter in the cycled 15 gal. Do i leave the cycled filter running in new tank for a few hours or even overnight?? After the overnight, do i then swap the filters to each of their original tanks? Do i have to take out my betta when the filters are echanged?? Thankyou for any responses.

FYI, the cycled filter is an external power filter and the new filter is an internal power filter stuck inside the side of the tank.

 

[SkiFletch]

External and an internal huh? Depending on how much of a hassle it is I'd run the betta filter on the cycled tank in addition to its current external filter for a few days (3-5). Bettas can tolerate poor water quality (since they come from grimy rice patties) as far as filtration goes so he should be fine.

Just make sure you monitor your ammonia levels and do significant water changes if they get much above 2ppm. Even 2ppm is toxic and not long-term advisable but a betta can probably handle it. Make sure you vaccum when you waterchange to keep the ammonia producing poop out of your system.

Does your betta filter hang over the edge of the tank, or is it fully submerged? You wouldnt happen to know the name/model?

 

[rdd1952]

The best way to do it would be to exchange filter media or gravel along with some water from the cycled tank to the uncycled one.

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Moving water won't do any good. There aren't any bacteria present in the water.

The best way to speed a cycle is to run a second filter in the established tank for a few days and then move it to the new tank. Don't just swap and put a new filter in the established tank and move the old filter to your new tank. The filter is where most of the bacteria colonize. You would basically switch which tank was cycled and your old tank would no longer be cycled.

How large is the established tank and what do you have in it?

 

[Videl]

External and an internal huh? Depending on how much of a hassle it is I'd run the betta filter on the cycled tank in addition to its current external filter for a few days (3-5).

Does your betta filter hang over the edge of the tank, or is it fully submerged? You wouldnt happen to know the name/model?

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My betta filter is fully submerged and is rectangular in shape. You stick the filter to the side of the tankk and the filtered water passes through a hole into the water producing current and air bubbles. So does running the betta filter in the cycled tank for a few days really worK?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, the longer you leave it in the cycled tank the better. If you can stick the filter intake at or below the level of the gravel in the cycled tank you'll have even more luck

 

[Videl]

Yeah, the longer you leave it in the cycled tank the better. If you can stick the filter intake at or below the level of the gravel in the cycled tank you'll have even more luck

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Thankyou SkiFletch.
So after 5 days (this should be alright i think) in the established (cycled) tank, as you said, i should return it to my new 7 gal tank, right. So after i transfered the new filter into its own new tank after the the 5 days, how long should i keep the filter running before i could add any fish?
Once again, thankyou for any responses, i will be looking forward to completing cycling my new tank.

 

[SkiFletch]

Its tough to say how long it will take. Anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. The real answer isn't time but chemicals. Its safe to add more fish when the bacteria you are adding through the cycled filter are able to reduce ammonia and nitrite readings to very near 0ppm. If you get a lot of bacterial buildup in the new filter within those 5 days its in the established tank, you should see a quick turnaround in your new betta tank. If not, then a slower turnaround.

Is it possible for you to check the betta filter after 5 days and see what kinds of buildup it has in it? Often times bacteria will grow visibly on one of the filter media and be kind of like a brown film there. If upon examination you see that brown film, it should be at least partially ready. If you dont see brown film, a couple more days in the established tank couldnt hurt.