Ready to cycle

[Reddog80p]

Hi all,

I got my 55gal "borrowed" tank all cleaned out and rinsed very well. I am ready to add the water and declor. I have a HOB filter (aquaclear 200), and several air pumps and stones that my buddy had with the tank. I would like to use the hagen air curtain in the tank. How would this effect how much air to use via air stone along with the curtain? The air curtain is 47" long, almost as long as the tank that is 48" long. also I was wondering what kind of substrate to use, I would like to keep 2-7" koi and maybe 5- 7 comet goldfish which are 2-3" long. I could reduce the number of comets if neccessary. The tank also has a heater. Should every think be added before the fishless cycle is started (substrate, HOB filter, Heater , air curtian)?

Thanks in advance, this site is awesome!

Reddog80p

 

[7Enigma]

I would recommend adding everything to the tank prior to cycling. Every surface in the tank can allow bacteria to attach to, so it makes sense to have as much surface area present as possible. It will also allow you to figure out the best placement for looks and function before adding in fish.

I will not comment on the fish choice, but will say that I do not think an AC 200 filter will be able to process all the waste the fish will generate. I think a canister filter or another HOB would be required.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Add everything to the tank before you start cycling. It will give more surfaces for the bacteria to grow. You may want to re-consider your stocking choices. Koi grow far too big for the tank. Not to mention, that is a lot of fish for a 55. I agree with 7Eng that you may want to consider a canister filter for a 55 gal tank.

 

[Reddog80p]

This is only for the winter, I have a 1,000 gallon pond that is only 24" deep so I did'nt want to risk having fish popsicles. I was also considering using my pond water in the aquarium to start with how would this benefit or harm the tank?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The water will not help with a cycle as it does not hold much bacteria.

 

[7Enigma]

You can take some of the mulm from the pond and put it in your tank. You can also take any semi-aquatic plants (grasses, emersed plants) and put them in as well for a while. They will all have nitrifying bacteria on them (and probably harbor some pests as well). Even better would be rocks/bogwood as these can easily be removed at a later time without crudding up the water.