Cycling 2 tanks: 1 fishless, 1 planted with fish

[doublenerds]

OK, on March 27, I started fishless cycling on a 29 gallon that contained about 4 live plants and standard aquarium gravel. I used the guidelines posted here.

On May 10, I started a 28 gallon bowfront with sand over soil, fairly heavily planted.

On May 12, I got some mature filter media from my lfs and added it to the filters on both tanks.

8 weeks after starting my fishless cycle, the ammonia on my 29 has not budged. With my planted tank, I experienced 5 days of ammonia rising to 0.1 ppm every 24 hours, and since then the tank has been holding steady at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5ppm nitrates.

My planted tank currently contains 6 harlequin rasbora, 5 horned nerite snails, and half a dozen red cherry shrimp. All appear to be zippy and healthy.

I will, of course, continue to test water daily and watch fish closely, but I have actually decided to break down my 29 and re-do it as a soil-substrate planted tank, since it seems to be working so darn well.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

OK, on March 27, I started fishless cycling on a 29 gallon that contained about 4 live plants and standard aquarium gravel. I used the guidelines posted here.

On May 10, I started a 28 gallon bowfront with sand over soil, fairly heavily planted.

On May 12, I got some mature filter media from my lfs and added it to the filters on both tanks.

8 weeks after starting my fishless cycle, the ammonia on my 29 has not budged. With my planted tank, I experienced 5 days of ammonia rising to 0.1 ppm every 24 hours, and since then the tank has been holding steady at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5ppm nitrates.

My planted tank currently contains 6 harlequin rasbora, 5 horned nerite snails, and half a dozen red cherry shrimp. All appear to be zippy and healthy.

I will, of course, continue to test water daily and watch fish closely, but I have actually decided to break down my 29 and re-do it as a soil-substrate planted tank, since it seems to be working so darn well.

Plants feed the cycle IMO/E and you could try taking some plants or decco from the cycled tank and putting it in the 29g. I wouldn't chance a mini cycle using filter media from the cycled tank, but maybe try adding some extra media into for a couple weeks and then put it into the 29g to seed it.