How quickly can fishless cycling start?

[gsxrated98]

OK, so I have had my 20 gal tank with fish setup for over a month now, and I haven't seen any signs of nitrites.

I have a QT tank 10 gal, setup for a while now, and I decided to run in through the fishless cycling process.

I added ammonia (Ace HW brand) to the tank on Monday. I checked it again Monday night to see the levels of ammonia, and hit it again.
after testing that, my ammonia levels were between 4 and 8ppm.

I have the temp range right now at approximately 78deg, all the cheap heater will do I think.

I just finished testing the water of the QT tank, and I'm seeing 0 ammonia, between 2.0 and 5.0 ppm nitrites, and 5ppm nitrates.
Should the cycle process happen so quickly?

I did put in some live plants on a piece of driftwood that I got when I purchased a used 75gal, established tank.
Is it possible that some bacteria lived on the DW and plants, and survived the trip? It was kept in an unheated bucket for 2 or 3 days, filled with tank water from the established tank.

Is the tank properly cycling, or am I seeing false reading?

I put more ammonia it a few minutes ago, and I'll test that tomorrow morning.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Yes bacteria could have maybe survived and by the looks of it, it did. But its not over yet it looks to me like it may still be a little while.

 

[gsxrated98]

Well, it seems as though my 10Gal has fully cycled. Tested this morning, and 0ammonia, 0nitrites, and between 5 and 10ppm of nitrates. Not bad for only 1 week.

I added some more ammonia to make sure 100% that it will cycle through properly.

Now, what can I transfer from the cycled tank, to the non cycled tank? There running the same filter, so if I just swap the filter media, will that almost instantly cycle the other tank?

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Well, it seems as though my 10Gal has fully cycled. Tested this morning, and 0ammonia, 0nitrites, and between 5 and 10ppm of nitrates. Not bad for only 1 week.

I added some more ammonia to make sure 100% that it will cycle through properly.

Now, what can I transfer from the cycled tank, to the non cycled tank? There running the same filter, so if I just swap the filter media, will that almost instantly cycle the other tank?

Yea it would but then the other tank would need to be cycled again. You'll need to wait on bacteria to build up in the tank. If it was me I'd cut less than half the filter pad to add to the other one. Or you'll probably be the opposite you are now with the cycled tanks

 

[gsxrated98]

I'm not worried about the cycled tank. It doesn't house fish right now, only one live plant. So, if I had to stat the cycle process all over in it, I'm fine with that.

My 20Gal tank is the tank with fish, and there still going through the fish in cycle process. So, if I could just jump ahead a few steps, that would be great.

Can always restart my QT tank cycle over. It only took a week.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I'm not worried about the cycled tank. It doesn't house fish right now, only one live plant. So, if I had to stat the cycle process all over in it, I'm fine with that.

My 20Gal tank is the tank with fish, and there still going through the fish in cycle process. So, if I could just jump ahead a few steps, that would be great.

Can always restart my QT tank cycle over. It only took a week.

Yea if you look at it that way.it would for sure help the other tank

 

[gsxrated98]

So, all I really need to do is swap the filters?

 

[librarygirl]

I wouldn't remove the filter from the 20 gal that's on there now; a 10 gal filter won't properly filter a 20 gal. You could just run the 10 gal filter on the 20 gal along with whatever filter you have on there now. Or, if there's room in the filter on the 20 gal, move the media from the filter on the 10 into the filter on the 20.