Tank Cycling ?

[Perrdav]

I have a new 125 gal tank that I'm currently doing a fish less cycle in with only base rock and regular aragonite sand (not live). I've been dosing ammonia to 4-5 ppm as needed and my nitrite has been sitting over 5 ppm for a few weeks now, nitrate is around 10.

I'm not in any hurry, but was wondering if placing some of the filter media from my established 37 gal reef into my new sump would be a good idea to boost biological diversity? I've had my share of algae and cyano outbreaks in that tank which I'm trying to avoid in the 125 by using base rock that I would rather not introduce.

Would using that media increase the chances of transferring the bad stuff into the new tank?

Thanks, Dave

 

[spoonman]

Filter media from an established tank would definitely help the cycle.

 

[Perrdav]

I agree that it would help, but at what risk of adding pest algae/bacteria to the tank?

 

[crister13]

Bacteria is what you want. So that's not a problem. Any nuisance algae/cyano will die if the water is kept up to par.