What is the quickest way to get the water cycle?

[myfrint]

I have 10 gallon tank that someone threw away.

Tomorrow, i'm going to get stuff for my tank (filter, lights, hood, air pump, gravel, heater) and start to run the tank without fish.

Well, i know that i need to run the tank for several weeks. (according to the articles that i've read, i think "more the weeks of the cyle, better change of fish not dying)

However, i don't want to just watch my empty tank for months. It will be boring.

So, is there any way to fasten up the cycle? Will adding real plants when i set up my tank tomorrow will help? (Oh.. i have 10 gal goldfish tank right now. so.. does adding gravel from the goldfish tank will help to fasten up the cycle?)

I wanna see neon tetras (this fish is what i want to keep in my tank) in my tank as soon as possible.

 

[ger87410]

I'm trying to speed the process up on a tank I just set up that has guppies in it. I bought a 10 Gallon tank (now my hospitol tank) and filter and rocks, threw the guppies in there not caring if they live or die, and they florished. Cycled in like a month or less.

 

[cutecotton]

do fishless cycling, instead of using real fish, just use ammonia and you'll get hte results a lot faster
http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10099

check out that link for all the info you'll need on setting up a new tank and cycling it. I heard that if you do fishless cycling, you'll be ready to add fish in about 2 weeks?

 

[Eel Boy]

For my tank, I put fish i didn't really care about in it the third, day and it really sped up the process. Make sure that you get fish that are easy to adapt. Try putting swordtails in there. My tank be going for 6 weeks now and both of the swrod tails are still alive. You really dont have to wait as long as the articles if you dont want too.

 

[parker313]

Neon tetras tend to be pretty sensitive to water fluctuations and good clean water. They're not a fish you want to just throw in as soon as possible.

 

[ger87410]

I'm going to add about 30 guppies to my 55g that has some culture in it, after about 4-7 days I'm going to add about 20 or 30 more guppies. Then after a week add something larger, haven't decided what. Probably my red zebra. Then a week after that add the 2 clown loaches.