Question re: Cycling

[sarah5775]

How long can a cycled tank run without fish and remain cycled?

 

[Zer0]

Good question. Im going to check back here because i would like to know this as well. Never crossed my mind.. lol.

 

[spoonman]

I would guess not more than a few days without a source for the nitrifieing bacteria. Just a guess though. Now I'm gonna have to research it.....arggggg

 

[mfdrookie516]

wow, you have managed to stump the experts lol... this is a first

 

[Speakerman]

the beneficial bacteria doesn't necessarily die off, some of it will go dormant. The bacteria that does die off, produces ammonia which keeps other bacteria alive, and that cycle will continue for days until all of the ammonia and all of the non-dormant bacteria are consumed.

In other words, there is probably no way to give you an answer without guessing because there are too many variables and no way to test them without a microbiologist specializing in bacteria.

 

[HN1]

A tank can remain cycled without fish indefinitely....

You just need to add another source of ammonia.

 

[spoonman]

I think this is a trick question. The answer would vary. If you had a tank that was well established and had fish in it, then you took the fish out. I think it would stay cycled for quite some time due to the fact that you would still have a source of ammonia in there for a while..i.e the waste and stuff that was in the tank. If you just cycled it with ammonia and then left it alone after you were done, I dont think it would stay cycled at all, since you are taking away the food source for the nitrifying bacteria and there isnt anything established in the tank.

Or maybe I'm just talkin out my butt......LOL

 

[spoonman]

Without continuing some kind of ammonia source the cycle would definitely end though!! I know that for sure....

 

[HN1]

Without continuing some kind of ammonia source the cycle would definitely end though!! I know that for sure....

True. The post said "without fish" though. Don't hate me, I'm just a part time lawyer. lol

 

[Steveo 2006]

4 hours and 23 minutes, I timed it....oops back to square one.

Does anyone have any fresh filter media?????? LOL

 

[spoonman]

Good one Steveo!!!

 

[JPKeenan]

*lol*

would be like those stupid climate forecasts, unless to have a number cause everything is changing all the time. And it follows Heisenberg Law.

The eco-system in every tank is a bit different. Temperature, amount of gravel, flow rate of the filter, chemistry of the water coming out of the tap, how you cycled the tank, if you had fish in it, what type of fish.

 

[kaiofcanada]

Not sure on the exact timing...but, if you have another tank running with fish in it...I would move your filter to your living tank while the other is empty. This will keep your happy little bacterial living in your biofilter happy . Then once you are going to restock the other tank, you can move the filter again.

If you do not have a live tank going, then I would suggest putting a snail or two in it. Snails eat algae and stuff we don't see. Snails poop. Poop makes ammonia. Ammonia feeds bacteria which make nitrogens...and then everyone is happy including the aquarium gods who believe snails are people too .

 

[sarah5775]

Ha ha, sorry. I have been moving fish around and one of my smaller tanks is just sitting there cycled but empty. So I'm trying to figure out what to do with it, and wanted to know what my time frame was.

And wouldn't you know it, there already is a colony of ramshorns living in my tank. And I thought they were annoying pests......

 

[JPKeenan]

hehehe yeah. I did what you are not supposed to do (cause I am trying to get rid of the ich).

Do not rinse off your filter with tap water. Use aquarium water (like when you do a water change)..... I rinsed mine in very hot tap water (will most likely kill any good bacteria, but my intent is to kill the parasite.