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I just thought of this today. What if I took 5 gallons out of my 29 gal and put it into my NEW 5 gal. Would this be an instant cycle? I don't know for sure or not so I thought I'd ask. Thanks.
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Apocalypse_Gold
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It may jump-start your cycle, but most of the beneficial bacteria is in your filter and in your gravel, and not free-floating.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Agreed. If you hung your new filter on your 29 gallon for a few days, then transferred the water, it may work.
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
alrighy. What if I put the filter pad for my 5 into my filter for the 29? Would this also work? I won't be putting water in it till Fri-Sat.
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yes, it would. Good luck. Still take it slow and test accordingly when you set up. Adding in gravel from your 29 will also help.
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
i have gravel for the 5 already. it's a diff color. i will get the betta first and when the cycle is complete i will get the ADFs!
Devilishturtles
Aquarium Advice Addict
I would be patient and let the cycle run it's course. With what you are planning on doing, it should be a quick cycle. I'm guessing no more than 2 weeks, if that. Bettas are a sensitive species. Unless you want to do daily water changes, just be patient and wait. Then, nothing to worry about.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
If you don't want to put gravel from the cycled tank to the new tank because of the color, put some in a new sock and stick it in the tank for a few days as well, to help seed the gravel. Every day give it a small squeeze. 3 or 4 days should be good. The filter pad in the cycled tank will also help very much. Can also rub some of the stuff off the pad or sponge in the cycled tank onto the new pad as well. Will get more colonies started that way as well.
noncentric
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hi Fishy, sounds like something similar to what I've done...'instantly' cycling my new 6 gal with items from my 25 gal.
Filter material: Put extra filter padding on top of the regular filter padding of the 25-gal. That was in there for about a week. On 6-gal set-up day, I put that extra filter padding on top of the regular filter padding of the 6-gal.
Gravel: Took gravel from the 25-gal and placed it in a plastic bag, then put that plastic bag on top of the new gravel of the 6-gal...with the 'top' of the plastic bag cut open. After a while, I will be able to remove this "old" gravel without mixing it with the "new" gravel. The same effect could be accomplished using pantyhose to hold the "old" gravel, but I didn't want to sacrifice a pair of nylons.
Plants: Took a few plants (live) from the 25-gal and planted them in the 6-gal. This would work with plastic/silk plants and decorations too, not just live plants.
Water: I did a PWC on the 25-gal on the same day as I set-up the 6-gal, so about 3 gallons of water from the 25-gal was put into the 6-gal. I'm not sure if that helps much with cycling, but I figured it would help the fish (a couple danios) experience less 'shock' when moving to another tank...temporarily.
The water tests for the next 4 days have been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, pH 7.0
I think that using as many of these methods as possible would help to speed up the cyling process. It's a lot easier to seed a smaller tank from a larger tank, then vice-versa.
Good luck!
Filter material: Put extra filter padding on top of the regular filter padding of the 25-gal. That was in there for about a week. On 6-gal set-up day, I put that extra filter padding on top of the regular filter padding of the 6-gal.
Gravel: Took gravel from the 25-gal and placed it in a plastic bag, then put that plastic bag on top of the new gravel of the 6-gal...with the 'top' of the plastic bag cut open. After a while, I will be able to remove this "old" gravel without mixing it with the "new" gravel. The same effect could be accomplished using pantyhose to hold the "old" gravel, but I didn't want to sacrifice a pair of nylons.
Plants: Took a few plants (live) from the 25-gal and planted them in the 6-gal. This would work with plastic/silk plants and decorations too, not just live plants.
Water: I did a PWC on the 25-gal on the same day as I set-up the 6-gal, so about 3 gallons of water from the 25-gal was put into the 6-gal. I'm not sure if that helps much with cycling, but I figured it would help the fish (a couple danios) experience less 'shock' when moving to another tank...temporarily.
The water tests for the next 4 days have been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, pH 7.0
I think that using as many of these methods as possible would help to speed up the cyling process. It's a lot easier to seed a smaller tank from a larger tank, then vice-versa.
Good luck!
Just as a point of curiosity....
After the new filter has been running on the old tank and is ready to move to the new tank...it seems to me the next thing to do would be do a deep gravel clean out of the established tank and transfer the dirty water to the new tank.I'm not suggesting this...just asking.
I've never heard this mentioned here and I have no idea if it would work or help but to me it it seems logical.Would that not transfer much of the needed bacteria?
Or am I missing something?
After the new filter has been running on the old tank and is ready to move to the new tank...it seems to me the next thing to do would be do a deep gravel clean out of the established tank and transfer the dirty water to the new tank.I'm not suggesting this...just asking.
I've never heard this mentioned here and I have no idea if it would work or help but to me it it seems logical.Would that not transfer much of the needed bacteria?
Or am I missing something?
rich311k
Aquarium Advice Addict
Bacteria is not in the water column or the dirt. I think you would just be moving dirty water. i would stick the new pad in the old filter for a couple of weeks. The other option is to take a piece of the old filter pad cut it to fit and put it in the new filter. I did this with media from a cannister. I cut the pad to fit my AC50 I had no cycle at all.
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
SCFatz said:
I actually did this, and cycled a tank rather quickly. I did a gravel vac from an established tank (5G bucket) and put it in the new tank. I did it 3 times (3 days in a row). I didn't mind moving the dirty water over, as this was going to be a planted tank and the substrate is Eco Complete. I also moved a filter over that had been running on my 55G. Tank cycled in just a few days. And after planting the tank out, I added the first fish. So if you are going planted, or don't mind cleaning the gravel of the new tank after the bacteria gets established with a gravel vac, it certainly does not hurt. The bacteria isn't picky as to where it colonizes. Doesn't say, I'll only colonize in the filter, or I will only colonize on the gravel, or the glass, or the plants. It colonizes everywhere, as long as it has some water flow for oxygen, and food (ammonia and nitrite). So any gunk in the bottom will have the bacteria colonizing on it.
I will also be performing an experiment on my next tank. Looking at getting a 20G long here shortly. Everything in it will be new, and will not move any cycled material over. All I'm going to do is do a gravel vac on my 26G into a 2G bucket and add to the tank daily, and see if my theory is correct that the tank will cycle in a few days. And since I'm planning on it being a planted tank, I'm not worried about any mess. Will count the number of buckets of gunk it takes til the tank is cycled.
rich311k
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think moving the established filter cycled the tank. The dirty water and mulm from the bottom had nothing to do with it except maybe to add an ammonia source.
donttaptheglass
Aquarium Advice Freak
These are all good suggestions listed above . . . .but I've learned that in aquaria, nothing good comes from rushing things . . . all the things said above can speed up the cycle, but please be patient and make sure the tank is established before you add your fish.
I too have been the victim of impatience, and more than one fish has paid the price with its life.
I too have been the victim of impatience, and more than one fish has paid the price with its life.
Interesting.I've got at least one,maybe two (don't ask,a MTS over correction perhaps lol) 55g coming to my house in the next week or two so I'll be following this closely.For me its not a matter of "rushing" but more about getting it right as well as gaining a better understanding of how it all works.
I cycled with fish with my first tank and I either way I have learned enough here to avoid that challange.
When do you expect the 20g?Perhaps we can kick off a thread as we cycle them up.Might be useful.What do you think?
Fatz
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
just wanted to chime in that the bacteria isn't floating around in the water so it does no good to move dirty water. Most of the bacteria is in teh filter pad. using a filter pad from the 5 gallon would help seed but you would still need to go slow by adding one fish/week and testing levels very carefully.
Now i took a sponge out of my 55 gallon and it instantly cycled a fully stocked 10 gallon. But that is different becuase there was enough bacteria on that sponge to support all the fish in the 55 gallon. Whereas tehre isn't going to be enough bacteria in a sponge from a 5 gallon to support a 29 gallon right away. Thus you still have to be careful.
Now i took a sponge out of my 55 gallon and it instantly cycled a fully stocked 10 gallon. But that is different becuase there was enough bacteria on that sponge to support all the fish in the 55 gallon. Whereas tehre isn't going to be enough bacteria in a sponge from a 5 gallon to support a 29 gallon right away. Thus you still have to be careful.
That seems to be the logic I see applied more often then not.And I'm sure its sound.I wasn't thinking the water itself would be benificial...but the solids and or semisolids that a deep gravel clean produce seem just as likely to hold benificial good stuff to me as the filter.
Please keep in mind that I'm very new to the idea of cycling as a whole and this site and its users was a true gem with helping me cycle with fish.I've done more reading then I care to mention.I have no wish to step on any toes here...just thinking outside of the [glass] box a little.lol
Even if it is just fuel for the bacteria I see upside to doing it.But I'm guessing it may be more helpful then just fuel.I do have at least one 55g on the way and I'll post as I move foward with that cycle.
Let me ask this...Does anyone have a reason NOT to do it?Is there a down side in anyones opinion?
Fatz
Lonewolfblue
Aquarium Advice Addict
hi....
I don't think there's any downside at all, other than a little cleaning afterwards. All I see is positives myself. I'm also not into rushing a cycle, just finding different ways in which you can help the process along. That is why I've always said that when you see your tank is cycled, don't rush and get fish. Go 1 or 2 more days to be sure. I've seen people say their tank was cycled, then rushed to the lfs and got fish. Next thing, ammonia and nitrite. With my 55G doing the fishless cycle, I waited an extra day to be sure, and guess what? Took 1 more week til I was cycled. Was very glad I didn't rush.
As for the 20G, might be a week or 2. With my hours at work, haven't had time to look around. This may be my final long week, then will go back to a more regular schedule.
I don't think there's any downside at all, other than a little cleaning afterwards. All I see is positives myself. I'm also not into rushing a cycle, just finding different ways in which you can help the process along. That is why I've always said that when you see your tank is cycled, don't rush and get fish. Go 1 or 2 more days to be sure. I've seen people say their tank was cycled, then rushed to the lfs and got fish. Next thing, ammonia and nitrite. With my 55G doing the fishless cycle, I waited an extra day to be sure, and guess what? Took 1 more week til I was cycled. Was very glad I didn't rush.
SCFatz said:
As for the 20G, might be a week or 2. With my hours at work, haven't had time to look around. This may be my final long week, then will go back to a more regular schedule.
Elmware2000
Aquarium Advice Activist
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I once jumpstarted one of my ten gallon tanks in a simular way. One of my Marigold Swordtail had a bunch of babies so I rushed out to buy a new tank. I then took half the water out of the other ten gallon and put it in the new tank. I would have normally waited two weeks, but I had a pail of frys that desperately needed a home they could survive in, and I didn't have a breeder box at the time.
OP
OP
Guest
Guest
it really is useless to pull water and muck out of one tank and into the other. Even though you are getting "solids" from a gravel vac doesn't mean theres a good amount of beneficial bacteria. There's less oxygen down in the gravel (unless you have an UGF) and most of it goes through your filter... thats where the oxygen is, thats where the circulation is, and that's where the bacteria is.
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