advice on cycle please

[herbzIOW]

Can I cycle a new tank with a seeded filter, 50% old tank water and pest snails? Would the pest snails provide enough ammonia? Thanks

 

[bud29]

Can I cycle a new tank with a seeded filter, 50% old tank water and pest snails? Would the pest snails provide enough ammonia? Thanks

I think that it would largely depend on the tank size and the amount of snails. Also, BB colonizes on surfaces, and it is not free-floating - so you shouldn't have to use old tank water. However, the used filter media WILL help.

 

[herbzIOW]

I mentioned old water because I thought the snails would prefer it to 100% declorinated tapwater. It's a very small tank. About a foot by about 10 inches, and there's quite a lot of snails

 

[bud29]

I mentioned old water because I thought the snails would prefer it to 100% declorinated tapwater. It's a very small tank. About a foot by about 10 inches, and there's quite a lot of snails

Do you know how many gallons it is? Also, could you not just dechlorinate the new water?

 

[herbzIOW]

I could do but I thought the snails would prefer 50% tank water and 50% declorinated tap water. I will work out the gallons quick.

 

[herbzIOW]

Its just over 5 us gallons

 

[phishfriend]

A lil more info pls. Tank size? Filter size? Your filter with type is it? Is it running on a tank now? How old is the media inside?

Now, if its a filter that has been running on established system for some time. Meaning filter w/ filter pad etc. and it rated to handle the tank size. All your doing is just moving it to a new tank. It still has the old filter pad in and the new water is treated with prime and within a few degrees of the old tank water. Then technically the new tank should be "cycled" It's important to remember that for the first few weeks this cycle is fragile because the BB is solely in the old filter. if something effect the BB in the filter you may see some spikes. Mini cycles aren't uncommon. So, you need to test more often. While the tank settles and equals out.

 

[herbzIOW]

It a 50lph small internal filter. It hasn't been running. I was going to put a little bit of old media in the filter then use the snails to spread the bacteria to the rest of the media and tank. All I need to know is if the snails produce enough ammoniw to do this

 

[phishfriend]

I don't think so. It would have to be a lot of snails. Your better off leaving them out so you can crank up the heat in the tank to around 86F that's going to be the quickest way to get the Bactria to multiple the fastest.

 

[herbzIOW]

There is a lot of them. I think I'll just chuck them in and use my test kit to see how much ammonia they produce

 

[herbzIOW]

I'll do some experimenting. I'm in no rush to cycle it

 

[molliwopp]

Sling those snails in. Cant hurt. You can have all of mine too! No doubt one little bugger will stay behind and ill have millons again by next week.