Question on cycling using old filter

[Bigpoppa]

My tank has been running for over a year now, but has been fishless for maybe 2 months, possibly 3, cant rmeember. is there any bacteria left in the filter to help cycle once i clean out the tank?

if there is useable bacteria, how long will a cycle using this filter take?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

No, the bacteria has died off by now.

 

[flip_lx]

start dropping in some fish food or a raw shrimp and get your cycle restarted, the bacteria is probably all gone by now though

 

[Bigpoppa]

when is it safe to add fish? and what should i add? should i move my betta over of something else?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Cycle the tank first. I prefer the pure ammonia method as opposed to rotting food and shrimp. The latter smells terribly and clouds.

 

[Bigpoppa]

from what ive read its reccommended to add a lot of fish after using hte ammonia method, problem is i only have 3 fish i dont plan on getting anything more than that right this minute

 

[jsoong]

Where are those 3 fish?

If they are living in a cycled tank & you are simply transfering fish from one tank to the other, you can skip the cycling & simply move everything (decor, filter etc) from old to the new tank. This way, you move all your bacteria from the old to the new tank & you have an instant cycle. After 4-6 weeks, the bacteria would have moved from the old filter & decor to the new tank filter & decor & you can remove the old stuff if you like.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

You don't have to add all the fish at once. You can, but it's not a requirement.

 

[flip_lx]

first buy a test kit if you don't already, your waiting for your ammonia to grow then cause a nitrate and nitrite spike once those settle down and your ammonia is a constant 0 you can add your betta in no problem. I'd say wait another week add the 2nd and then wait a week and a half for the 3rd if they are roughly same size as the betta (if they are little neon tetras or zebra danios you could probably put them both at the same time)

 

[Bigpoppa]

the betta its self is kinda small, atleast compared to my last betta, then a glas fish, then a small platy.

i dont plan on moving any of the stuff from the tank they are in to this one

oh and when can i add some plants?

 

[mvigor]

Just move the fish and the filter over from the existing cycled tank. The bacteria in the old filter will cycle the new tank in a day or so, and the larger volume of water in the new tank will allow a tiny ammonia/nitrite spike to be diluted enough that your fish will be fine.

You would probably even be fine just moving over a dirty filter pad from the existing tank. I've done it 10 times and it works perfectly...no fish losses yet.