Best way to insta-cycle a new tank?

[Sssea]

I'm finally getting a bigger tank and I'm not sure how to use the seeded materials from my old tank to instacycle my new tank.
Do I just use the same gravel (or put some in a stocking, I haven't decided on substrate yet) and use the filter media along with the new media for the tank?
Any help would be great.

 

[jcolon]

I'm finally getting a bigger tank and I'm not sure how to use the seeded materials from my old tank to instacycle my new tank.
Do I just use the same gravel (or put some in a stocking, I haven't decided on substrate yet) and use the filter media along with the new media for the tank?
Any help would be great.

Although I haven't done it ... basically the answer is yes ..... Substrate from your old tank would be a good seeding material. If you can use some of the filter media from your established filter, stuff it with the new filter and that will quickly help.

This is how I intend on eventually seeding a 120 gal I'm considering down the road.

 

[Sssea]

Awesome. If I need more gravel, will mixing it in with the seed material affect the bacteria?

 

[jcolon]

Awesome. If I need more gravel, will mixing it in with the seed material affect the bacteria?

Not as far as I've read from previous threads ... so long as the new tank has ammo for food the bacteria will grow. And naturally if you put new gravel in the old one to make up for what you removed .. well bacteria will just grow on those as well. Just don't take so much gravel ...like 50% lol ... as it could lead to a mini-cycle. I'm sure a couple of handful's should get it started.

 

[eco23]

Gravel from an established tank will help...but since the thread is about "insta-cycling", the answer is no it will not do that. Jcolon is right that filter media is the best seeding material since it contains the vast majority of your beneficial bacteria.

What size tanks do you currently have and are setting up?

 

[Sssea]

Gravel from an established tank will help...but since the thread is about "insta-cycling", the answer is no it will not do that. Jcolon is right that filter media is the best seeding material since it contains the vast majority of your beneficial bacteria.

What size tanks do you currently have and are setting up?

Going from a 10 to a 29. What's the best way to go about transferring my little guys?

 

[eco23]

Going from a 10 to a 29. What's the best way to go about transferring my little guys?

Are you moving every fish from the 10 to the 29 ? Is the 10 gallon going to remain up and running or are you going to store it away to use as a QT? Will there be a new filter on the 29?

If you're simply upgrading, you can pretty much take the entire filter, gravel, etc... throw it on the new and hopefully be good to go since that filter will have the beneficial bacteria needed to support your fish. Even if the new tank has it's own filter you can run the both of them together (there's no such thing as over-filtration). If the 10 gallon is going to be stored away to be used as a quarantine, if you ever need it you can pull one of the old filters off and have a quarantine tank set up in about 10 minutes

 

[Sssea]

Thanks for the great advice, Eco.

I'm moving all the fish from the 10 to the 29, since there are only 3. I'm probably going to sell the 10, so I can actually afford the 29. It's tough being a poor college student

So if I move all the gravel and add more (I'm assuming I need more, since the tank is bigger?) and place the filter pad from the existing tank behind the filter pad of the new one, can I add my fish immediately?

 

[eco23]

Thanks for the great advice, Eco.

I'm moving all the fish from the 10 to the 29, since there are only 3. I'm probably going to sell the 10, so I can actually afford the 29. It's tough being a poor college student

So if I move all the gravel and add more (I'm assuming I need more, since the tank is bigger?) and place the filter pad from the existing tank behind the filter pad of the new one, can I add my fish immediately?

If you can move absolutely every inch of media from your old to your new...you may be okay. I would still treat it as a fish in cycle until it proves stable. Make sure you have a good quality test kit like an API Master kit.
Here's a great link you can use if you see any ammonia or nitrIte spikes.
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

TBH, you're really not going to get much money for a 10 gallon tank, so it would be a fantastic idea to throw it in the closet as a hospital tank. If you ever see a sick fish you can instantly set up the QT to isolate and treat them before they infect the entire tank. It's also a great idea to quarantine any new fish you have and make sure they are healthy before adding them to your DT (display tank). You might make $20 selling the 10 gallon, but the cost of replacing all of your fish if they die from a parasite like ich which you could have prevented with a QT is going to be much more cost efficient.

Just my opinion, but definitely the smart way to go. Since you're a college student...I'm sure you guys can find some creative way to drink beer out of it or something while it's not being used, haha. Just make sure it's rinsed well before adding fish

 

[Sssea]

I'm definitely going to keep the 10 if I have a hard time selling. I may end up converting it to a planted tank for dwarf puffers since I'm absolutely not getting any more fish for the 29.

My main concern would be having a qt/ht is not having space in the super tiny apartment I will be moving in to shortly.

I'm having weird daydreams about filters pouring waterfalls of beer into my mouth now

 

[Sssea]

Just one more question.
I picked up the tank today (off craigslist) and the guy gave me his old filter media. Should I buy new ones to use in conjunction with my established media? He said they still contain beneficial bacteria, but I would assume it dies off without a source of ammonia to feed it.

 

[eco23]

Just one more question.
I picked up the tank today (off craigslist) and the guy gave me his old filter media. Should I buy new ones to use in conjunction with my established media? He said they still contain beneficial bacteria, but I would assume it dies off without a source of ammonia to feed it.

First, is it still wet? If no...bacteria is dead. Second, do you know how long ago he had fish? I'm not sure of an exact answer, but IMO, after a week of no ammonia the bacteria will experience a significant die off. Third, did he say why he was getting rid of the tank? If there was some type of disease / parasite that killed off his fish...you want to stay clear and sanitize everything super well.

 

[Sssea]

It's bone dry and looks pretty old, so I was planning on getting new ones anyway. I didn't even think to ask why he was selling it or if anything happened to his fish.