Tetra Safe Start Bacteria and ammonia?

[Blueskynoise]

Hi guys. I’m upgrading my 30 litre tropical tank to a 90 litre. I’m two days in to a fishless cycle for the 90l. I’ve dosed with ammonia to kickstart the cycle, I also went out and bought some tetra safestart, hoping to speed up the process. Looking at the bottle though, I’m not sure I’m supposed to use the two together? Is it one way or the other or is there a benefit to using both in tandem?

 

[Slaphppy7]

I would just use the ammonia.

 

[Essjay]

You can use both. The Safe Start may or may not make the cycle go faster. (It doesn't work if ever got too hot or too cold at any point since it left the factory)
You can also take some of the media from the 30 litre (up to a third) and squeeze that into the new filter.

Are you using the fishless cycling method on here?

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

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[FishGuest5123]

Yes, you can use them together. You need the ammonia to start the cycle. All the Safe Start is doing is adding some good bacteria to move things along. I use to use both before I had additional media in my stable tanks.

 

[Colin_T]

Why are you bothering to cycle the 90 litre tank if you already have an established tank?
Just transfer the old filter onto the new tank and stick the fish in.

If you want to keep both tanks going, take half the filter media/ material from the established smaller tank, and move it into the new filter. Let it run for 24 hours and add fish.

 

[Blueskynoise]

Why are you bothering to cycle the 90 litre tank if you already have an established tank?
Just transfer the old filter onto the new tank and stick the fish in.

If you want to keep both tanks going, take half the filter media/ material from the established smaller tank, and move it into the new filter. Let it run for 24 hours and add fish.

my concern with doing this was that I’d have to take the filter out of the existing tank and let it run in the new tank for say 24 hours. Would it be ok to leave the fish in the existing tank with no filter for that period of time? Or can I move filter and fish straight away? In any case have I blown this now by starting the cycle in the new tank or could I still do this?

 

[DoubleDutch]

I'd do what Colin suggested.
Use (a part of) the established filtermedia in the new filter.
No new cycle needed.

 

[Essjay]

You can move the filter and fish at the same time. But the new tank will still only be cycled for the fish you have now. Assuming you intend to get more fish, you would have to add them slowly, a few at a time.

Alternatively, use a bit of the smaller tank's media (up to one third) in the new filter and continue with a fishless cycle. Once it's complete, move the fish over and get new fish - though you may want to use the small tank as a quarantine tank. If you do this, the bacteria you will have grown in the big tank will be OK while the new fish are in quarantine.