aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I am looking at a second 75 gal tank and I read somewhere it will only take 2 weeks to cycle a tank with no fish. Is that true ?!
How long to cycle 75 gal with no fish
- Thread starter aislinn3
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Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's possible if you use some good seeding material. It took me 2.5 weeks to cycle my 29g with a bag of gravel from an established tank.
calfishguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah if you can seed your filter you can basically have an instantly cycled tank. Do you have any other cycled tanks.
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Yes, I have 2. A 75 and a 46 gal
calfishguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you run the filter on your cycled tank for 4 weeks and add it to your new tank it will be instantly cycled. You could also add some media from your cycled tank to your new filter and stock really slowly to ensure that your bb have time to reproduce and adjust to their new bio load.
I purchased some Tetra SafeStart and within 3-5 days my 20 gallon is good to go, you'd need about 3 bottles of it for your size tank. SafeStart is live bacteria that you add to the new tank, then after about 6 hours add just a few small fish to produce waste for the bacteria to feed on. Then after a week or so I'd start stocking it!
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
My original 75 is cycled, has been running for about 6 weeks. I had a variety of fish in my 46 including some dwarf puffers which I had a backup 10 gal for in case they started nipping. Today was that day but I feel 10 gal isn't enough for them (or anyone for that matter). So, I wish to leave the puffers in the 46 with my rainbow shark and synodontis cat. I moved the 4 mollies to the original 75 with swordtails, loaches, and pleco. However, I intend on turning my 2 loaches into 5, and need to move the mollies and swords to do so. So if I take the filter from the original 75 and place in the new 75, then add some of the original gravel, the new tank should cycle quickly, yes?
calfishguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
It should but you need to keep a cycled filter on the old 75 moving media would be better IMO. Also gravel doesn't really hold much for bb.
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Good to know. Thank you so much, your advice has been very helpful. I don't care much for gravel to begin with. I would like to change it to sand but am hesitant to move my 12" pleco, even more so the 2 loaches even just for a few hours. Just wish I knew better when I started that tank! In any event, I will take it slow, move the media, no gravel which is actually a relief as I want the new tank to be sand. If all seems well I will move a couple of swordtails and see how they do for a little while. Then I can eventually get my royal pleco!!
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Also good to know! I started my first 2 tanks with quick start but want to do the new tank a bit more...organically. Though I am a bit impatient and may give in to a more conventional method. I am quickly discovering how much patience is a huge factor in owning aquariums, even though the process can be tweaked and expedited. Great therapy if you ask me, Lol.
Just wondering, what makes you want to cycle it naturally? Are there any advantages to it?
calfishguy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Any way you cycle a tank is natural really. You are waiting for the small amounts of bacteria already in the water column to multiply. I think that the op meant without any chemical help.
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
No particular reason, just like the idea of being more patient and letting time and nature run its course. It would be interesting to compare techniques. If I can accomplish the same goal without having to buy/use additional products it would be a win-win. Although money is not the real issue, its always nice to save some or at the very least have extra additives in case of an emergency
I do agree, adding bb is in fact an organic method but I do like to experience a wider spectrum of techniques. Otherwise, how can I be so certain one way works better or worse than another?
OP
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aislinn3
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Indeed, my point, or goal rather, exactly
I don't hold any faith in the bottled bacteria anyways. Today alone I've seen posts from 2 different people that started out with bottled bacteria and saw absolutely no effect from it.
Well for me at least it seems to be working. I've had a Platy in the tank for about 3 days after adding the bac and she seems healthy as a horse! But that's just my experience, and I respect other people wanting to do it without added bac.
