Tank Is Ready, Now Help Me Cycle It

[symon_say]

Hi

I just set my tank last night, i feel really good about the job i did with it, i think it looks beatiful, but now is time to cycle the tank, i was gonna do a fish-in cycle but you people convince me to do a fish-less cycle, and i will, but i want to do this ASAP, i have a friend who is gonna give me media from his filter so:

- Where is the best place to put this media??
- How should i put it??
- What other shorcuts i can take??

This is my first master piece:

Sorry for the crappy pics, they were from my cell, i'll take better pics later when i find my camera.

 

[karin]

More will answer here but your friend should give you enough to fill about a third of your filter. A sponge and some ceramic rings are best. Then you need a good liquid test kit and ammonia. So you will start by dosing ammonia and doing a fishless cycle as described in the beginners section but it should go much faster with your "seed" of mature media. But let me say again, you need actual filter material, a bag of gravel, a decoration, and/or water from a mature tank will do next to nothing for the cycle.

Oh and yes you did a fabulous job on the aquascape, go to it now.

 

[symon_say]

Thanks, i have the test kit, and will drop some ammonia later, i turn the heater up, don't know what temp cause heater just have + and -. i'll see later when i got home.

About the media, is from his filter sponge. Do i have to take the sponge or with the "waste" on the sponge is enough??

 

[Uriel]

Ideally you want the media so 1/3 of his sponge and some ceramic rings or similar. If they live reasonably close i would take a bucket over and when you "borrow" the media ask them if they can clean there other media in the bucket in some of there tank water. The bits that come out of the filter media when they are washed will also have some bacteria in them. Also this allows you to keep the media wet as dry media is dead media. then when you get home put the media in your filter and the water in your tank. May cloud it up but this should clear.

Also worth noting is if your plants are fake keep the light off during the cycle. Ammonia + light = algea.

 

[symon_say]

He live next to me, so the trip is just a few steps, will it be good idea to clean his filter in my tank??

 

[Uriel]

You could. I would wash it in water from his tank and add it to your tank though. Also you still really need a piece of media. This will help but media is still a must.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Find out what make his filter is. Then buy him a replacement sponge, that way when he chops off a third of his sponge to give to you he has somthing to replace it with.

 

[symon_say]

i will seed this afternoon, another question what's the best way yo attach background, i did it with water but and take all the bubles out, but it fall of a few days later.

 

[Aqua Tom]

i will seed this afternoon, another question what's the best way yo attach background, i did it with water but and take all the bubles out, but it fall of a few days later.

You can buy some expensive backgroung attaching gloop. Or get some baby oil.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with Tom. You want to plan and get set up before acting. You need to buy the replacement media that matches his filter. Work with him. If it's a sponge you will put the old sponge and the new sponge right next to each other and use scissors to cut them such that it's a matching cut, one third of each sponge is cut off. The one third of old sponge goes to you while the one third of new sponge replaces it. He ends up with 2/3 of his old sponge and 1/3 of a new piece (fitting tightly still hopefully) and you end up with one third of his old sponge that you will probably cut up further to fit into your new filter such that it is prior to your new sponge in the water flow inside your filter.

Don't do any of this until you've already obtained the right sort of household ammonia and have already dosed the new empty tank, waited at least 20 minutes and tested that you have reached about 4ppm concentration (as measured by your good liquid-reagent based test kit.) That way the fragile bacteria will have food right away and you'll have the best chance of them surviving the move and you having a "take" in your new filter as you start the "mature media" fishless cycling process. I also agree that additionally cleaning his remaining media out in your tank (as if your new tank were a cleaning bucket) will be an excellent additional help.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[symon_say]

By mistake i add more a lot more ammonia that what is should, and i get +8.0ppm (color code just get to his), should i change part of the water to get ammonia down, or will it be ok, to leave it like that??

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; 8ppm is too high! Do a 50% water change and test again

 

[Uriel]

Yes anything over 8ppm and it uses a different bacteria to break it down and this will slow your cycle.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Change half your water to bring it down to 4ppm.

 

[symon_say]

I'll do this tonight, thanks.