2nd tank cycle question

[rusilja]

Hi there

I set up my second tank (5gal) today.

Everything is new, only some plants are from my 15gal tank and the filter was cycled long time ago, but been dry for months.

I just wanted to ask if I add the dirt from my 15gal tank to my new tank to cycle it will I take the black beard algae (BBA) into my new tank? My 15 gal is infected with the brush algae, so is it a good or bad idea adding the dirt? I don't want bba in my new tank.

thanks

(pics comming soon)

 

[harmy4993]

Your filter is no longer cycled. I couldnt tell if you knew that or not so i thought id point that out just in case. Once it went dry everything died

Since your adding plants from the other tank it would be ok to add the sand technically as tue algae is just as likely to come over on the plants as on the sand. With that being said your plants will also be used to seed your new tank so you wouldnt hace to use the dirt. I will note thou that adding the sand too will provide even more seed material. Which will help speed up the cycle some.

 

[rusilja]

Your filter is no longer cycled. I couldnt tell if you knew that or not so i thought id point that out just in case. Once it went dry everything died

Since your adding plants from the other tank it would be ok to add the sand technically as tue algae is just as likely to come over on the plants as on the sand. With that being said your plants will also be used to seed your new tank so you wouldnt hace to use the dirt. I will note thou that adding the sand too will provide even more seed material. Which will help speed up the cycle some.

Yea I know that, I can only add algae free plants at this moment. becouse the sand/gravel is totaly different, my 15g has alot of calcium in it so plants don't grow well. While my new tank has calcium free substrate (expensive). So I won't risk adding filter material or gravel stuff to avoid BBA.

I hope my BBA goes away so I can add more plants to my new one.

 

[logansmomma1228]

Do have any decor that you can add? The filter quit working in my snail tank so I put the media in my 30 (it was still wet ) with some decor and substate and it cycled in a week. I put a new filter cartridge in the snail tank and it didn't go through a mini cycle... just a thought. Not sure how well it would work but you put filter media from est. tank in that one?

 

[rusilja]

Do have any decor that you can add? The filter quit working in my snail tank so I put the media in my 30 (it was still wet ) with some decor and substate and it cycled in a week. I put a new filter cartridge in the snail tank and it didn't go through a mini cycle... just a thought. Not sure how well it would work but you put filter media from est. tank in that one?

Unfortunatly I won't add anything than good healthy plants, everything has a bit of the algae. SO I'll let my tank cycle for a week or two, I have fast growing plants so it will be cycled fast.

 

[harmy4993]

Fast growing plants dont do anything for your cycle. In fact plants of any kind dont effect a cycle. Ammonia or dead raw shrimp do.

Something i would recommend is putting a new filter pad in with your old filter on your first tank. Dont take out the old filter leave them both in at the same time. Then after 3-5 days take that new filter and put it in the new tank. That will super seed your new tank and speed up your cycle. Just make sure to feed the new bactira in the new tank. Raw uncooked shrkmp works awesome or some fish food. Then keep testing the water. With the seeded filter it should go relatively fast

 

[mommytron]

yea, plants don't do a whole lot for your cycle, if anything they act as extra "filtration." for a fast cycle you need some seeded material, a temp somewhere around 84*, good surface agitation, and darkness. these are all things that will aid in a quick cycle.

however the cycle won't even start until you have an ammonia source. pure ammonia is the best source of ammonia, IMO. no mess, no smell (except when you open the bottle). +1 for seeding a new cartridge by putting it in with the old cartridge, as harmy said, just make sure the water flows through the old one first, to help the bacteria move to the new one.

 

[rusilja]

yea, plants don't do a whole lot for your cycle, if anything they act as extra "filtration." for a fast cycle you need some seeded material, a temp somewhere around 84*, good surface agitation, and darkness. these are all things that will aid in a quick cycle.

however the cycle won't even start until you have an ammonia source. pure ammonia is the best source of ammonia, IMO. no mess, no smell (except when you open the bottle). +1 for seeding a new cartridge by putting it in with the old cartridge, as harmy said, just make sure the water flows through the old one first, to help the bacteria move to the new one.

Yes I understand that plants don't do a lot. But it's better than none.I gues I'll add fish food (flakes) as my seeding source, I cannot afford to put my filter in my cycled tank and getting the risk of BBA

 

[DragonFish71]

yea, plants don't do a whole lot for your cycle, if anything they act as extra "filtration." for a fast cycle you need some seeded material, a temp somewhere around 84*, good surface agitation, and darkness. these are all things that will aid in a quick cycle.

however the cycle won't even start until you have an ammonia source. pure ammonia is the best source of ammonia, IMO. no mess, no smell (except when you open the bottle). +1 for seeding a new cartridge by putting it in with the old cartridge, as harmy said, just make sure the water flows through the old one first, to help the bacteria move to the new one.

Read up on silent cycling the tank. Plants play a huge roll in that.

Also, plants can help by supplying bacteria. Just like adding seed material. Of our tanks that I've cycled with plants, I have noticed it takes less time than a straight fishless cycle. Now, if I cycle using plants and a product, like Stability with some dead feeders, it takes even less time.

Just sayin'

 

[logansmomma1228]

Read up on silent cycling the tank. Plants play a huge roll in that.

Also, plants can help by supplying bacteria. Just like adding seed material. Of our tanks that I've cycled with plants, I have noticed it takes less time than a straight fishless cycle. Now, if I cycle using plants and a product, like Stability with some dead feeders, it takes even less time.

Just sayin'

This is what I thought, but I haven't read up on it. I have read on here that plants can help the cycle and that it doesn't hurt to add them while cycling.

 

[harmy4993]

Hmm i dont think plant help with the cycle at all. You still need a food source to make ammonia to produce the bactira. And unless your plants are all rotting i dont think they are giving off the food source.

What they do, do is " eat " the stuff that goes on during a cycle. The ammonia and nitrites and excess nutritions. So if you have a heavy planted tank you can put fish in safely during the cycle period and the fish wont get poisoned.. but you cant do it with a couple of plants. You need alot of them. So your cycle is going on, just with enough plants your not harming the fish if you add one before the cycle is complete.

 

[rusilja]

Hmm i dont think plant help with the cycle at all. You still need a food source to make ammonia to produce the bactira. And unless your plants are all rotting i dont think they are giving off the food source.

What they do, do is " eat " the stuff that goes on during a cycle. The ammonia and nitrites and excess nutritions. So if you have a heavy planted tank you can put fish in safely during the cycle period and the fish wont get poisoned.. but you cant do it with a couple of plants. You need alot of them. So your cycle is going on, just with enough plants your not harming the fish if you add one before the cycle is complete.

Yes, I added plants (not much) and I give flakes. Btw,how many and when should I give it flakes?

Here's a pic (I'm trying for a iwagumi styled tank, but I can't use plants which require high light or warm temp. I have no heater and plan on keeping shrimps only.

Can you give me some names of cold water/low-light plants?? Thanks

Sorry for the bad pic, I'll try to get a better one later.

 

[mommytron]

you have to add a lot of flakes in order for them to produce a decent amount of ammonia. i added a good tablespoon+ before ammonia read 2.0ppm. and it will take at least a few days for the ammonia to show up since it has to rot before it will produce ammonia. it's going to get messy this is why pure ammonia is recommended, because you can instantly dose it to 4ppm and it's totally clean.

 

[logansmomma1228]

you could use raw shrimp from the grocery store in a mesh bag too, might get kind of smelly but more effective than flakes and eaiser to clean up. I personally prefer pure ammonia myself. What is that plant on the right side of your tank? It looks really cool.

 

[rusilja]

I heard from a friend that urine, when it stay a day or two uncleaned it becomes pure amonia?
*just asking*

you could use raw shrimp from the grocery store in a mesh bag too, might get kind of smelly but more effective than flakes and eaiser to clean up. I personally prefer pure ammonia myself. What is that plant on the right side of your tank? It looks really cool.

It's not something special, it's some sort of "Cabomba caroliniana"

 

[logansmomma1228]

well i know ammonia is in urine and that cat pee smells like ammonia, I wouldn't recommend using that for your ammonia source though :butt:

 

[rusilja]

well i know ammonia is in urine and that cat pee smells like ammonia, I wouldn't recommend using that for your ammonia source though :butt:

Oh ok

 

[mommytron]

lol! i never thought of this...my ferrets' pee smells like it's pure ammonia.... i dunno if i would feel comfortable putting it in a fish tank though!! x_x

lol! i would stick with pure ammonia if you can find it, next up use raw shrimp, then as a last resort use the flakes (soooo messy and inaccurate)

 

[Lowryder]

Hmmm, I remember a thread about this somewhere. Searching...

 

[Lowryder]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/people-pee-vs-fish-pee-80303.html