Mature tank cycle? Random cycle?

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Oceangirl

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
643
Location
Florida
Okay here we go,
Tank one: Fully cycled, 0 amm, no nitrates have plants and hornwort
Penguin 150B
20 gallon high

I recently bought an Aquaclear 70 on sale, and because my hubby let me:)
I ran both on 20 gallon high (talk about a lot of wake!!) So Penguin marineland 150B and Aquaclear ran a week together on my tank. Then took mature filter I had in there over a month, I cut it in 1/2. Half for Aquaclear and the other for the penguin plus a new filter pad together in the housing.

I set up my old 10 gallon tank, used 1/2 water from mature tank and then slapped the penguin 150B with 1/2 mature filter pad and new filter pad together. then added a few guppies. Now the penguin 150B was the filter running since about march so lots of BB right?

For some reason I am in cycle on the 10 gal, and no cycle perfect parameter on the 20 high? What happened?
 
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I haven't tested every thing, But I did test ammonia on a whim a few days ago. and received this reading.25-.50. So for the past 4-5 days have been doing 30-50 PWC everyday and testing for amm. I did a 80 % water change and then a 20 % on the 10. The last reading before water change .25ish. then did 50 %.
 
It could be that since you don't have plants in your 10 gallon, these are the types of readings you might see in the larger tank if you didn't have the plants in that tank to suck up nitrates. Know what I mean?
 
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:ROFLMAO: That makes sense!!:facepalm: I will move a few plants over, I just got a new bunch of hornwort. I will also throw a couple baby java ferns in as well. funny as it sounds, I have Green Hedge plant, that is non aquatic and is growing like a weed!! putting out roots!! I will try a couple stems perhaps of that too,



Took your plant advice, Also when I checked/washed (this past weekend) with mature tank water the foam sponge in the Aquaclear it was dark and the biomax is starting to change color.
 
Just rinse out the sponge in used tank water when it gets dark and gunky. You want to be sure that you have good water flow through your filter. The gunk can slow it down tremendously.
 
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