How long to establish filter

[xander]

I set up and old canister filter(Fluval 203) that I haven't used in years yesterday. I hooked it up to an established tank (125 gallon) that has a large sponge filter and an Eheim canister running on it. I am wondering how long it would take before the new/old filter (fluval 203) is ready to use on a small tank (about 5 gallons). I have 8 medium uaru one medium to large rhino pleco a few corys a school of small tetras and a few other small fish. With this bio load I am thinking it should take at least a week for bacteria to establish. Not sure. What do you think?

 

[xander]

The idea is to start a new tank with a cycled filter and water from a cycled tank and have an instant cycled new tank. I've done this before when installing new filters on an old tank then once the new filter ran for a while installed the old filter on a fresh tank. I let both filters run for at least a month before removing the old one to ensure the cycle remained intact. I've never done this in the reverse and need to ensure the filter will cycle before I install in the new tank. I'm just not sure how long it will take.

 

[mfdrookie516]

i would give it at least 3 weeks to a month... also, when you do set up the tank, use new water when you set it up, youre just putting dirty water in it otherwise

 

[DragonFish71]

*Snickers* I've got 2 fluval 405s seeding on our 55g right now for the 120. (got the other one for Christmas)

What I've found that helps is filling a piece of old pantyhose with already seeded gravel and putting it in the filter under some of the ceramic bio things and change it out every 4 days with "newer" seed gravel. I've done this before when we set up our 40 and it seemed to help speed up the process of cycling the filter.

 

[cabezon]

couldn't you just take some media from the eheim and put it into the fluval? and what are you going to put into a five? that 203 should give it plenty of flow, lol.

 

[xander]

It's actually a LARGE vase. My lady friend had goldfish in it. She really liked it so I am trying to set it up so the fish are healthy. I know the filter is overkill but only a canister filter will work in this "bowl" and the F203 is the smallest I have. There isn't room for a sponge and from what i've heard about goldfish I think excess filtration isn't a bad idea.

 

[mfdrookie516]

well there is no goldfish that should be put in a 5g tank. A beta or shrimp is all that belongs in a tank that small, and a canister is WAY overkill for either one, both liking slow current

 

[dkpate]

+1 Rookie.

 

[xander]

Bummer. I was doing this as a belated Xmas present. I hope she'll understand.