New Tank Cycling Question

[SharkMan]

I have a 45 gallon FOWLR. I am purchasing a 168 gallon tank with sump skimmer and accessories. I wanted to know if there was any way to transfer water from my smaller tank (like a few partial water changes over a few days) into the new larger tank. My hope was to avoid the cycling process or greatly reduce it. Because I would like to keep my current live stock. Thanks for the help.

 

[Hara]

The bacterias that are used in the cycling process do not live in the water, they live on surfaces. To help cycle the tank, use sand or rock from the existing tank to help establish the bacteria. This does not eliminate the need to cycle the tank, just assists in the time frame.

 

[SharkMan]

I will have roughly 70 lbs of live rock from the two established tanks. So I should still go through the cycling process?

 

[Brenden]

As Hara said...

This does not eliminate the need to cycle the tank, just assists in the time frame

.
70 lbs of rock will greatly help but the cycle is still needed. It should be shorter than starting from "scratch"

 

[BillyZ]

You may not even see the cycle in terms of nitrites etc, but it is important to give the tank the chance to go through it without any livestock in the tank.





(what double post? )