Well I thought I'd be able to start up my tank...

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

That's great if/when you have cycled media to introduce the necessary bacteria to the new tank - however, not in this case so other means are required.

With Tank No.1, the old stuff was 13 years old.

 

[Myraan]

With Tank No.1, the old stuff was 13 years old.

Admit it! You have shares in Tropica (the real reason for your fast cycles, and having read your journal if anything you were being overcautious).

 

[AbbeysDad]

With Tank No.1, the old stuff was 13 years old.

Perhaps my mistake....I thought that in this case @Rocky998 was starting a new tank and didn't have an existing established tank to pull any cycled media from.

 

[Mikeyboy123]

Get a cooked prawn, put in a small media bag, toss it in your tank now. then, when you get back from vacation, test your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. If you are lucky you’ll be cycled and will have zero ammonia/nitrite and you can remove the prawn, dilute the nitrates down with a water change to add your fish. or you may still have some ammonia/nitrite and will have to wait a bit longer.

 

[Rocky998]

Perhaps my mistake....I thought that in this case @Rocky998 was starting a new tank and didn't have an existing established tank to pull any cycled media from.

I don't... You are right

 

[Colin_T]

Get a cooked prawn, put in a small media bag, toss it in your tank now. then, when you get back from vacation, test your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. If you are lucky you’ll be cycled and will have zero ammonia/nitrite and you can remove the prawn, dilute the nitrates down with a water change to add your fish. or you may still have some ammonia/nitrite and will have to wait a bit longer.

Don't leave the dead prawn in the tank permanently otherwise the ammonia level will go way too high and the cycling process will stop.

If you want to add a bit of frozen prawn, that is fine. But remove it as soon as the ammonia level hits 3ppm. After you remove the prawn, just leave the tank to cycle. If the ammonia level goes above 5ppm, the filter bacteria won't grow and the tank will stink when you get home.

 

[Colin_T]

It's how we cycled marine tanks back in the day. It works and you didn't have to try and figure out how much ammonia to add.

 

[Mikeyboy123]

Don't leave the dead prawn in the tank permanently otherwise the ammonia level will go way too high and the cycling process will stop.

If you want to add a bit of frozen prawn, that is fine. But remove it as soon as the ammonia level hits 3ppm. After you remove the prawn, just leave the tank to cycle. If the ammonia level goes above 5ppm, the filter bacteria won't grow and the tank will stink when you get home.

personally, I’ve never had the problem with the ammonia getting too high, either by using a prawn or a pinch of flake each day. I’ve cycled dozens of tanks in this way, my own and many for friends and relatives. I am not saying it can’t happen, it’s just never been a problem for me. I did it recently with my 18litre nano and used a chunk of prawn rather than a whole prawn.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Perhaps my mistake....I thought that in this case @Rocky998 was starting a new tank and didn't have an existing established tank to pull any cycled media from.

I think you're missing my point by a long way...
The old substrate had been left, unsealed and dried out, in an unheated storage unit, for 13 years.
For sure, any old tank bacteria could've gone dormant and then sprung into life once more...or I could've simply mixed my substrate with a lower layer of garden soil and got the same result.
I suspect the term 'cycled media' has a very wide definition.
Tanks 2 and 3 did use real live cycled media.