Mudge
New Member
If I upgrade from a fully cycled 10-gallon to a 20 or 29 gallon by using all the same substrate/plants/filter media, can I expect (or at least hope) that the new tank is likewise cycled — or close to it, anyway?
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Closer then a fresh start, yes. I wouldn't fully stock it for a bit though. Monitor parameters.
That's how I do it and it's worked every time. I haven't started from scratch with a cycle in several decades. As @connorlindeman suggested, monitor parameters and ease into stocking.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
The answer is yes, but not because you are moving the filter. A fair amount of how ammonia etc. is handled in your tanks is not by your filter. It is handled by the plants the then the bacteria which mostly lives in the top inch or less of one's substrate. Live plants also host the nitrifying bacteria as well as consuming ammonia in the NH4 form.
That said it always pays to monitor the new set-up. The next important consideration is that you are moving the fish and any inverts along with the things you mentioned. You can change some of the stock but the ideal would be not to increase or decrease the bio-load. You might even be able to add a new small fish or two because the bacteria will reproduce pretty fast to handle a small increase in ammonia output in the tank.
Under idea conditions it takes the ammonia bacteria 8 hours to double and the nitrite ones are more like 12. However, the plants do not create nitrite when they use ammonia, so you would nit need to increase the numbers of nitrite oxidizers by as much as the ammonia ones. if you increase the bio-load by 10% that means it would take the ammonia bacteria under an hour to be a full capacity for the addition. 8x60 = 480 minutes x 10%= 48 minutes.
If you want to add new fish which would increase the bio-load, you need to know that the tank has very close to, or a 0 ammonia reading before doing so.
(edited to fix some awfully bad typing)
That said it always pays to monitor the new set-up. The next important consideration is that you are moving the fish and any inverts along with the things you mentioned. You can change some of the stock but the ideal would be not to increase or decrease the bio-load. You might even be able to add a new small fish or two because the bacteria will reproduce pretty fast to handle a small increase in ammonia output in the tank.
Under idea conditions it takes the ammonia bacteria 8 hours to double and the nitrite ones are more like 12. However, the plants do not create nitrite when they use ammonia, so you would nit need to increase the numbers of nitrite oxidizers by as much as the ammonia ones. if you increase the bio-load by 10% that means it would take the ammonia bacteria under an hour to be a full capacity for the addition. 8x60 = 480 minutes x 10%= 48 minutes.
If you want to add new fish which would increase the bio-load, you need to know that the tank has very close to, or a 0 ammonia reading before doing so.
(edited to fix some awfully bad typing)
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I did just that very thing recently. I moved my Endler’s and Platy’s from a ten to a twenty high and used the same sponge filter . All is well and the fish are happier with more space .
Yes, the tank is instantly as cycled as the old tank, if you are using the mature filter media straight from one tank to another.
The filter media is the only thing that matters. The existing substrate, plants and decor won't do a thing to cycle a different tank, it's ALL about the mature filter media.
Thing to bear in mind is, that your filter media is only ever cycled to the level of waste it had to deal with previously. So as long as your new tank has about the same amount of waste (number of Fish and feeding habits), you all good.
If someone has some science that discredits my post, I'll happily read it, but I go by years and years of experience cycling new tanks and always testing a lot for ammonia and nitrite. I love the testing part of hobby.
The filter media is the only thing that matters. The existing substrate, plants and decor won't do a thing to cycle a different tank, it's ALL about the mature filter media.
Thing to bear in mind is, that your filter media is only ever cycled to the level of waste it had to deal with previously. So as long as your new tank has about the same amount of waste (number of Fish and feeding habits), you all good.
If someone has some science that discredits my post, I'll happily read it, but I go by years and years of experience cycling new tanks and always testing a lot for ammonia and nitrite. I love the testing part of hobby.
I agree with a slight digression... The science comes for having done it often enough to have real world experience... And I never cheapen on the testing kits...
If you replace the substrate, It's guaranteed it to go trough a mini cycle... Maybe not an major ammonia spike... But nitrite might not be the same...
After that, if you had a beautiful tank that was denitrifying on it's own... You might find that nitrate will creep up rapidly compared to the initial setup until the required bacteria develop.
Some more intensive water changes could be required to prevent nitrate going off chart...
My last encounter with the phenomena was when I cracked my shrimp tank and moved everything...
I was forced to change 20% water every other day for 2 weeks before nitrate stops rising....
Too much disturbance in a long established environment.
I’m phasing over to bare aquariums . No substrate . No problem since I don’t do rooted plants except for my one Amazon Sword . Most of my fish are also surface feeders . Maintenance is easier and it also means more water in the aquarium . It’s not for everyone but I like it .
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
To those of you who believe that plants and substrate do not contribute to to handling the nitrogen cycle in our tanks, I suggest you have a read here. This is not written for the scientist but for we the common people who keep tanks.
http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/aquar...ticles/aquatic-plants-and-the-nitrogen-cycle/
Here is one quick quote from the above:
4 mm = 0.157480315 inches
http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/aquar...ticles/aquatic-plants-and-the-nitrogen-cycle/
Here is one quick quote from the above:
4 mm = 0.157480315 inches
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