Shortening cycle time

[Grits]

I've got a 10 gallon setup that was given to me. So, might as well go for it. One more never hurts right?

Anyway, I'm going to use all gravel out of a well established tank. I will also use a couple of small plants that have been in the established tank. The only thing new/clean is the powerfilter and bio bag.

I'm wondering how long it should take this way before I can add the fish?
And Should I use water from the established tank as well, or will the water not have bacteria in it?

Thanks!

 

[patryuji]

Plants + established substrate means almost no cycle time (depending on how much you really grabbed).

I wouldn't try to fill the tank up with fish but you should be able to go ahead and stock it up with a few fish (and do this soon so the bacteria have sources of ammonia and nitrite to survive).

Just pull out your test kits and monitor NH3 NO2 and NO3 for the first couple weeks...everything should be okay but this way you'll know for sure.

 

[Purrbox]

You'd want to add fish immediately after transfering the substrate etc from the old aquarium or the beneficial bacteria will start to die off.

 

[p3purr]

I agree about adding a few fish immediatly and with Petryuji about adding plants. Hornwort is a good plant to start with, it floats and is a very good in a new tank. java moss or java fern will also work. If you decide to keep plants in the tank those plants are good and do well with a standard fixture, a plant bulb around 6500K and an occasional dose of Flourish. I've done those plants with plain gravel. When I added Florish Excel they really did well.

One possible source of benifical bacteria is used filter media from your established tank. Put it in a mesh media bag (Petsmart carries them cheap, or a make a bag out of nylon panty hose.

If possible run the new filter on the established tank until you get the 10 set up, the longer the better but even a few days is better than nothing. If you have another 10 put the new filter on it and the old filter on the new 10.

 

[Grits]

Thanks everyone!

Concerning stocking. I have a red-tail shark and a rainbow shark in my 75 gal. They have been fine until now but there are starting to fight pretty badly.
I hate to take one back to the store, because there is no telling where it will end up. Not the greatest of expectations at my LFS.

I know a 10 gallon is to small for a rainbow shark but I was thinking about putting him in there with a few cherry barbs. Would he probably bother the barbs? Or should they get a long? How many cherry barbs would be ok for a 10 gallon?

Thanks!

 

[patryuji]

If it is still a young rainbow shark you can have it in the 10gallon on a temporary basis. If it is already getting large (say 4") a 10gallon won't be reasonable for the fish and while it wouldn't normally bother cherry barbs there is a good chance a larger one would in such a small tank.

With plants you could put several cherry barbs in a 10gallon. They stay fairly small. If it were a cherry barb only tank with plants I don't think it would be unreasonable to have 7 or 8 with the females outnumbering males at least 3:2 (or just go with all males if you are looking for them to be colorful).