How long does it take to cycle tank

[Mileymoo]

Ive just bought a 30litre tank for my guppy fry, the filter was broken so how the 2 male guppies that were already in the tank weren't dead, yes it's second hand, I've washed everything in it iwn water best I could and added stress coat tap safe, I've bought a new filter which works up to 45litres, it has 2 air stones, it's been done 5 days what can I do to make things better, I have a 94 litre that is running beautifully now, with a few problems at first (white spot and fin rot) now I know what to look for I'm walking the fish like hawks, I didn't want to put them in my big tank till I was 100% sure there healthy, the guppy fry is being sold at 6 weeks, then I will use the tank as a quarantine tank, please help I'm still new at this and I could do with all the advice I can

 

[Masha]

It really depends on a lot of things, how long it takes.

This article will help, it explains how to do a "fish in" cycle in such a way that your fish are not stressed too much.

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice

 

[Masha]

...also, if your 94 liter is cycled, you can speed things up a lot by putting some of the filter media from that, in the uncycled tank's filter.

 

[mrvincent]

1. Put some "cycled filter" bio ceramic media into your uncycled filter.
2. Put some "Nutrafin Cycle" directly to the uncycled filter (I tested it cycled my 30 gal tank in 9 days)

Did you tested your water for ammonia nitrites? If not i'll say do a WC if you have fish into it, maybe there's a build up of ammonia.
So,
3. Make a WC

I would use this tank as quarantine/fry tank. Ich and other disease are very unpleasing and frustating to cure when it's your main tank that is infected.
Always quarantine new fishs for 2 weeks minimum as I do and life will be better for you. Infected fish are easy to threat in small tanks, and it's costless.

 

[Mileymoo]

Thanks for your advice, the filter I've got is just a small filter with two sponges in and no carbon, it's a AR 380 aquarium the filters a tetra 300 plus, so how would I do it



This is the filter I have

 

[Masha]

Sorry, confused

Which is the old, and which the new?

 

[Mileymoo]

That's the new filter for my 30 litre I want cycling I've thrown the old one away, my big tank has carbon and mix and has three sponges

 

[mrvincent]

You can't do anything with those kind of internal filters, they are too small.

The only thing you can do is add Nutrafin Cycle to the water. Make sure expiration date is 1 year+ before buy this product, as it will be more effective.

 

[Mebbid]

You can't do anything with those kind of internal filters, they are too small.

The only thing you can do is add Nutrafin Cycle to the water. Make sure expiration date is 1 year+ before buy this product, as it will be more effective.

If the filter moves water it will be just fine for the tank. Especially for something with as small of a bio load as fry. I do recommend pulling out a small bit of filter media from a different tank and sticking it inside the filter to make life easier for you. the bottled bacteria is sketchy at best... Some people have great luck with it while most have no luck at all (myself included)

 

[mrvincent]

I cycled a tank in 9 days (testing water daily) with Nutrafin Cycle. It depends on how the shipping was done, exposure to heat, cold, etc...

I usually add them directly to the filter bio to make it more effective. I only add this product when cycling, of after a filter bio cleaning or 50%WC.