restart 55 gallon tank

[xtwister]

I've had this tank for around 15 years.
It was a fully planted tank and ran well for the first couple of years
until I lost control of it due to black hair algae.
I battled it but lost. All the plants eventually died.
I continued to battle the black hair algae but on a lower level.

7 years ago I stopped adding any fish (maybe had around 10 smaller ones mostly tetras) Last one expired last week.

So I started cleaning by removing around 2 small pails of gravel since it occupied around 20% of the tank (due to the plants)
Boiled the stones and decorations.
Pythoned the water around 5 times since the remaining gravel was dirty.
Cleaned the filters.
Cycled the water with tap water maybe another 3 times with cold tap water.
I guess I was trying to kill all bacteria life out of it to start fresh.

What else should I do? I'll run the tank for 6 weeks or so before adding anything.

I'm thinking this time to go with medium size... maybe cichlids.
Its a 55g with aquaclear 300, fluval 204. florescent lighting.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Delapool]

Are you thinking tropical but no plants it sounds? And settled on cichlids?

 

[keegster803]

When you cycled your tank with cold water, did you add a source of ammonia to the water? Or did you just add cold Water and let the tank sit?


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[xtwister]

Are you thinking tropical but no plants it sounds? And settled on cichlids?

yes. and havent really decided yet.

When you cycled your tank with cold water, did you add a source of ammonia to the water? Or did you just add cold Water and let the tank sit?

I just did it a few days ago. i added some fish food for ammonia source. Its still needs to go through 6 weeks.

 

[keegster803]

yes. and havent really decided yet.







I just did it a few days ago. i added some fish food for ammonia source. Its still needs to go through 6 weeks.

Why does it need 6 weeks? Just wondering, and if your thinking about cichlids, are looking into Africans or Americans?


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[xtwister]

Why does it need 6 weeks? Just wondering, and if your thinking about cichlids, are looking into Africans or Americans?

Isnt 4-6 weeks what is needed to cycle a new tank?
Most likely Americans.

 

[Laeris]

It isn't time so much as parameters. The timeframe is simply a guideline. If you have sufficient starter bb colonies, the tank could be cycled in a week. That'd likely be a case where substrate and filter media came from a similarly sized or larger tank.

 

[xtwister]

The filters were cleaned by rinsing them out. I replaced the charcoal with new. There was still be some life in the sponges but I doubt it since I did 100% water changes around 5 times with cold tap water. I wanted to kill all the algae and bad bacteria.
I can wait since I'm going on vac anyways so I have the time to cycle it.