automatically establishing/cycling

[Tyler2354]

Is there a fool proof way to automatically establish a new tank? Im looking into starting a business of setting up aquariums in peoples homes or places of business and it would be very handy to get it cycled and fish in there the same day or very soon after. I know there are different sands out there with good bacteria already in the bags. would this work or is there other things to consider? I know how to cycle a tank but I would have to do it faster in order to have a good business going.
Thank you for all and any ideas!!!!

 

[venymae]

If you have a business I guess you could have a crap ton of bio filters in a tank at home that you put in their filters instead of new stuff. Seeded media to the max? Then just advise them to do the WC like a fish-in cycle? Really I think the best you could do is Seed media and do a short fish-in cycle. People need the education anyway, right?

 

[Tyler2354]

Thanks Mae, I have a total of 4 aquariums in my home right now. One canister filter, and the rest are hang on the back filters with either biowheels or the bio pads within the filter. Could I place some porous bio pads just floating in the tanks and they would grow good bacteria on them within a few days? Or do those pads need to be in an filter so there is water flowing through them? Also I read that I could buy some bacteria in a bottle and pour that into a new tank? I just want to get a tank established and have fish in it the fastest/safest and easiest way possible!!!

 

[twiddlemuffin]

What I did to cycle my aquarium almost immediately was took my filter out of my long established tank, took water out of the established tank, swished the filter in that established tank water, and poured that water into the new tank. All the gunk from the filter went in that tank and I left the gunk in there for a week or two with daily small water changes. After that I just syphoned out all the gunk and I was done. I had fish in the new tank, it was a fish in cycle.

 

[Tyler2354]

Thanks twiddle. That's what I do at my house when I set up a new tank. But that would be tough to do at a clients house. That's a good thing to keep in mind tho

 

[Affordable Aquatic]

Take a look at Prodibio Startup. Prodibio is shipped in small glass ampules containing various supplements. In the case of Startup, there are 2 parts, the first is a live bacteria culture shipped in a sort of suspended state. It is guaranteed to be live once opened and has a shelf life of 3 years. The second part is is an ammonia neutralizer. The company claims that a tank treated with Startup is ready for fish within a few hours.

While I would never put fish in the same day a tank is set up for many reasons, Startup definitely speeds up the cycling process.

Take a look: Prodibio Startup 30 Vials [NW#PD02133] Affordable Aquatic Supplies LLC

 

[Tyler2354]

Heck yea, that stuff sounds pretty awesome. Why have I not heard of this before? It's slightly expensive but those 30 vials treat up to 250 gallons. I may be purchasing some of this in the future!!!!

 

[Tank Girl]

Try Dr. Tim's. Excellent stuff. I just used it again recently to cycle a 45gal. Completely cycled in 7 days and the ammonia and nitrite never went over .25. The tank is now home to a big fat Ryukin.

 

[Tyler2354]

Could I place some of those coarse black pads in my actual tank and have bacteria grow On them, or would they have to be inside a filter so there would be water flowing through them to get bacteria to grow?

 

[BBradbury]

Instant Tank Cycling

Is there a fool proof way to automatically establish a new tank? Im looking into starting a business of setting up aquariums in peoples homes or places of business and it would be very handy to get it cycled and fish in there the same day or very soon after. I know there are different sands out there with good bacteria already in the bags. would this work or is there other things to consider? I know how to cycle a tank but I would have to do it faster in order to have a good business going.
Thank you for all and any ideas!!!!

Hello Ty...

Just add padded polyfiber filter media to an established tank and run it for a couple of weeks. You can instantly cycle a tank by adding half the filter media from a settled tank to a newly set up tank and adding fish slowly.

This week I set up a 30 gallon bowfront and took half the media from one of my 55 G established tanks and put it in the bowfront along with some floating plants. I added half a dozen Guppies right away. The tank's running fine and fish are fine too.

B

 

[Tyler2354]

Hello Ty...

Just add padded polyfiber filter media to an established tank and run it for a couple of weeks. You can instantly cycle a tank by adding half the filter media from a settled tank to a newly set up tank and adding fish slowly.

This week I set up a 30 gallon bowfront and took half the media from one of my 55 G established tanks and put it in the bowfront along with some floating plants. I added half a dozen Guppies right away. The tank's running fine and fish are fine too.

B

So my question is, can I just throw them in a tank and let them float around or do they need to be within a filter?

 

[Mebbid]

What I would do for this is have a continuous fishless cycle. Run a few filters on a Rubbermaid tote with tons of filter cartridges / media in them and just pull out some when setting up a new tank. It will give them clean filter cartridges that are free of any potential diseases your tank might be carrying unnoticed.

 

[Delapool]

So my question is, can I just throw them in a tank and let them float around or do they need to be within a filter?

I would say the bb will grow on pads just in a tank (they just need a surface) but you will get a better bb population on a pad in a filter (more through flow, nutrients, oxygen, stable setup).

 

[Tyler2354]

Ok I like the Rubbermaid tote idea. Thanks a lot y'all

 

[BBradbury]

Instand Tank Cycling

So my question is, can I just throw them in a tank and let them float around or do they need to be within a filter?

Hello again Ty...

When I instant cycle a tank, I put the used media in the new filter. The action of the water flowing over the bacteria in the used filter provides oxygen to the bacteria.

Good bacteria reproduces very quickly, so it should be up to handling the small bioload from the few fish in the new tank relatively quickly, likely within a few hours. This is the process as far as I've observed in my tanks.

B

 

[PerfectDepth]

What I would do for this is have a continuous fishless cycle. Run a few filters on a Rubbermaid tote with tons of filter cartridges / media in them and just pull out some when setting up a new tank. It will give them clean filter cartridges that are free of any potential diseases your tank might be carrying unnoticed.

This is a great idea. I was going to suggest something like this, but Mebbid beat me to it. You could even set up a slow drip of ammonia.

 

[Tyler2354]

If I placed the filter pads directly into a established tank would good batteries grow on them? Or would I have to get the old pads out of my canister filter and use those to establish a new tank almost automatically?

 

[enrgizerbunny]

What I would do for this is have a continuous fishless cycle. Run a few filters on a Rubbermaid tote with tons of filter cartridges / media in them and just pull out some when setting up a new tank. It will give them clean filter cartridges that are free of any potential diseases your tank might be carrying unnoticed.

This is what I was going to suggest. I would run the filters that you are going to be selling, dosing with pure ammonia daily. I'd probably run a high ammonia dose to ensure all the filters are seeded. Also, the nitrate rich water from this "seeding tank" should definitely be used in a garden.

Just floating the media might help prepare them to go in the filters so that they can be have some bacteria clinging to them when you put them i the filter to get well established. Keep in mind that you will only grow as much bacteria as there is ammonia to feed, so a ton of filters running on a tank with a small dose of ammonia won't do much to establish cultures in all of the filters that are capable of handling the bioload that they need to.

 

[venymae]

So, it seems the consensus is yes, you can put the filters to just float in the tank, but they will have less of a bacterial colony than if you had them in a filter.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

This is a great idea. I was going to suggest something like this, but Mebbid beat me to it. You could even set up a slow drip of ammonia.

+1 ammonia drip setup

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