Cycling with established tank media

[OwduaNM]

I have finally built my stand and set up my tank. I have not added any water yet. I have filter media from a friend with an established tank. Is there a different procedure for getting a tank to cycle using the media, or just follow the standard procedure outlined in the sticky?


Thank you for your input!

 

[threnjen]

Standard procedure, it will just go faster.
If the filter media dried out, it may not help.

 

[OwduaNM]

Ok, so I read about getting filter media from an established tank and I should have waited until after my tank was set up. I will ask my friend for some more tomorrow.

Does it matter how long after I have set up my tank to put the filter media in? Like if I did it a week later would there still be a benefit to it?

 

[jlk]

Ok, so I read about getting filter media from an established tank and I should have waited until after my tank was set up. I will ask my friend for some more tomorrow.

Does it matter how long after I have set up my tank to put the filter media in? Like if I did it a week later would there still be a benefit to it?

You can add cycled media anytime you wish. Just make sure you transport it in a bag of tank water and add it when you arrive home (don't let it sit in a bag for a week). Cycled media is always beneficial to helping jumpstart a new tank.

 

[malonbl]

I have similar questions, so I am jumping in. Will most fish stores provide you with this established media and is it usually sold or purchased?

 

[librarygirl]

I have similar questions, so I am jumping in. Will most fish stores provide you with this established media and is it usually sold or purchased?

You can ask, although most stores won't just give you media, they'll try to sell you fish or some other bacterial product. You can purchase an "active" seeded filter from AngelsPlus; they've helped many on here with their cycles, myself included.

 

[BBradbury]

Tank Cycling

I have finally built my stand and set up my tank. I have not added any water yet. I have filter media from a friend with an established tank. Is there a different procedure for getting a tank to cycle using the media, or just follow the standard procedure outlined in the sticky?


Thank you for your input!

Hello O...

If you've got the tank set up, then fill it half way with luke warm water and get it planted. Fill it up and put in the used filter media. Plug everything in and let it run. I like to run my new tanks for a couple of days to get the water temp around 78 degrees and add a few small, fairly hardy fish. I add 2 to 3 for every 10 gallons of water. Don't want to stress your good bacteria too soon. Test the water daily and if you get a trace of ammonia or nitrite, then remove and replace a quarter of the tank water. The bacteria from the established tank will reproduce quickly, but you should still monitor the water pretty closely.

Once you have several daily tests with no traces of ammonia or nitrite, your bacteria is up to handling the nitrogen produced from the fish waste. Then, changing half the tank water every week or so will keep the water chemistry stable for the fish and plants.

B