10 gal cycling fishless

[shynepo3]

So I have a 5 gal cycled tank. The hob filter has 2 inserts inside. I was wondering if it would be ok to take one of them out and put onto my new 10 gal to help speed up the cycle? I would put a brand new one in it's place, so my cycled tank would have one new insert and a an old one. Would it affect the cycled tank?


I also plan on taking the tank water from a pwc and putting it in the new 10 gal....this will help speed up the cycle right? Along with some seeded gravel in pantyhose.

 

[eco23]

So I have a 5 gal cycled tank. The hob filter has 2 inserts inside. I was wondering if it would be ok to take one of them out and put onto my new 10 gal to help speed up the cycle? I would put a brand new one in it's place, so my cycled tank would have one new insert and a an old one. Would it affect the cycled tank?

I also plan on taking the tank water from a pwc and putting it in the new 10 gal....this will help speed up the cycle right? Along with some seeded gravel in pantyhose.

Any seeded filter media will help tremendously, but you don't want to remove so much from the existing tank that it causes a mini-cycle. Personally I would take a pair of scissors and cut out about 15% of the old media to stick into the new tank. Wait a few days and if the other tank remains stable, you can add another 15% or so into the new one as well. The water won't really make a difference, and gravel won't have near as much beneficial bacteria as the filter media...but it won't hurt to add some in. Thanks for doing a fishless cycle

 

[shynepo3]

What if I took a new filter insert, and stuck it in the cycled tank's filter. Leave it in for a few days to a week, then took it out and put into the new tank's filter...

would this affect the cycled tank? i wouldn't be taking any filter insert away..just squishing a new one in for a few days

 

[eco23]

What if I took a new filter insert, and stuck it in the cycled tank's filter. Leave it in for a few days to a week, then took it out and put into the new tank's filter...

would this affect the cycled tank? i wouldn't be taking any filter insert away..just squishing a new one in for a few days

I think you'd need to leave it in significantly longer than that to efficiently seed it. I'd recommend going ahead and throwing a new filter pad in the old tank, but still slowly remove the old stuff to put in the new tank. That way, once you've slowly removed all of the old one...you've already got a filter pad to replace the one you've removed. If you're using a cartridge that has carbon in it, you can just cut a slit in the side and shake the carbon out into the trash...it's not needed.

 

[shynepo3]

ok...so i got this straight...my new hob filter has 3 slot inserts...i'll put in 3 brand new inserts, as well as 15% of an old one? and add another 15% every few days?

And in the old cycled tank, place a new one with the 2 old ones (85% and 100%)?

 

[eco23]

ok...so i got this straight...my new hob filter has 3 slot inserts...i'll put in 3 brand new inserts, as well as 15% of an old one? and add another 15% every few days?

And in the old cycled tank, place a new one with the 2 old ones (85% and 100%)?

Umm...I think you've got it right.

Set up the new tank just like you normally would with new filters, donated gravel, etc...

In the old tank, take a new filter pad and jam it in right in front of the one you'll be donating from (if it doesn't fit, make it fit, lol).

Take 15%-20% of an old filter and jam it in behind one of the new filter pads in the new tank. Make the old piece the first thing the water hits in the filter.

Keep an eye on ammonia levels in both tanks. As long as the old one is staying stable, keep donating another 15-20% of the old filter every few days until you eventually have the entire old filter pad in the new tank.

This way you're slowly donating the seeded filter without removing it too quickly, and since you jammed a new one in in front of it, you'll already have a replacement in there when the entire old filter is moved over.

Same page?

 

[shynepo3]

Yes, perfect...thanks for the help...i'll post again soon...

going to move my betta into the 10gal...and maybe put a female betta in the 5 gal..

 

[shynepo3]

update....

i decided to just use seeded gravel..i took 3 pantyhose filled with gravel, put 2 in hanging in the tank, and 1 hanging in the filter...

its been 4 days now, and no signs of nitrites yet...the last time i used my brother in law's seeded gravel from his tank of neon tetras (or tiger barbs), it took 2 days and nitrites were showing....maybe there isn't as much bacteria from 5 gallon single betta tank?