Cycling Question

[Luna09]

I have a fully mature 36 gallon bowfront, it has been running for at least 2 years.

I am about to change the filter media, and was wondering,

I just started a small 20 gallon aquarium (there are 5 green neon tetras in it)

If I cut a piece of my 36 gallon's filter media (I'm thinking about 1" by 2" and place it in the new tank's filter with the new filter cartridge,

Will I skip all the annoyances of cycling a new tank?

 

[brybell]

I have a fully mature 36 gallon bowfront, it has been running for at least 2 years.

I am about to change the filter media, and was wondering,

I just started a small 20 gallon aquarium (there are 5 green neon tetras in it)

If I cut a piece of my 36 gallon's filter media (I'm thinking about 1" by 2" and place it in the new tank's filter with the new filter cartridge,

Will I skip all the annoyances of cycling a new tank?

Yes, it could greatly speed up your cycle!

 

[Luna09]

Oooh good news

I though that was the case, but I've been know to have a few notions that were incorrect, though seemingly logical lol.

 

[brybell]

Oooh good news

I though that was the case, but I've been know to have a few notions that were incorrect, though seemingly logical lol.

Lol. Yes thats how a lot of things seem haha.

I think the only thing you'd have to be careful about is

 

[Luna09]

Is transferring some unseen harmful bacteria or illness?

I did think about that. I have been fortunate enough to be issue free (knock on wood) with my 36 gallon, since its inception. My lfs has such good quality stock that I have been very fortunate!

 

[brybell]

Is transferring some unseen harmful bacteria or illness?

I did think about that. I have been fortunate enough to be issue free (knock on wood) with my 36 gallon, since its inception. My lfs has such good quality stock that I have been very fortunate!

lol yes, sorry i dont know how that happened.

if you dont have any issues now you should be ok. thats awesome. i have seen terrible things at some lfs.

 

[Luna09]

lol yes, sorry i dont know how that happened.

if you dont have any issues now you should be ok. thats awesome. i have seen terrible things at some lfs.

Icky- I can only imagine.

A friend told me a story (she worked at an unnameable lfs) in which, the company used to receive piraña in old gas tanks from (Indonesia?) and they would not have been individually bagged or separated in any manner,
so they would open up these old nasty gas drums, empty out the fish, and none of them would have fins or tails because they nipped at each other during their transporting.

 

[Aquamandan]

Absolutely. Anybody who is starting another aquarium should do this. It is such a simple step yet so many people will still go 1 - 2 months trying to cycle a new aquarium. I did this when I started my daughter's aquarium and it was completely cycled in 2 days.

 

[Luna09]

Absolutely. Anybody who is starting another aquarium should do this. It is such a simple step yet so many people will still go 1 - 2 months trying to cycle a new aquarium. I did this when I started my daughter's aquarium and it was completely cycled in 2 days.

That's amazing! So glad I thought of it. Seems so simple and straightforward.