How would one go about cycling a 10g tank?

[Mumma.of.two]

Thanks!

I really like that Sponge idea! My filter is fast for my betta so every once in a while he get blown around! how do you make it stay in one place?

I feel silly for asking but what is seeded media? lol I have a 60 gallon that's cycled

The sponge has got a hole in one end that the intake pipe goes through. It's a tight fit so it doesn't move.
Seeded media is used filter media that contains bacteria.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Thanks!

I feel silly for asking but what is seeded media? lol I have a 60 gallon that's cycled

Seed media is basically anything from a cycled tank you place in an uncycled tank.

Cycling a tank is simply the process of establishing a colony of (what I'll call) ammonia bacteria (they convert ammonia to nitrite) and a colony of (what I'll call) nitrite bacteria (they convert nitrite to nitrate).

To begin the process of cycling a tank, all you have to do is add ammonia to the water, start running your filter and sit back and wait. This ammonia bacteria and nitrite bacteria are in the air we breath. Eventually a single ammonia bacteria will find it's way into your tank, begin feeding on the ammonia, and start growing a whole colony of ammonia bacteria in your tank. That process will start putting nitrites in your tank. Eventually a single nitrite bacteria will find its way inside your tank, begin feeding on the nitrite and grow a nitrite bacteria colony.

But starting from a single bacterium will require weeks to grow these colonies.

To speed the process along, you take some 'seed media' (basically anything from a cycled tank like a hand-full of gravel, or a filter pad) that already has a colony of a million ammonia and nitrite bacteria on it. Now rather than taking weeks to grow an ammonia colony from a single bacterium, then wait weeks to grow a nitrate colony from a single bacterium, you jump start the process with a small colony from the 'seed media' and your tank cycles in days rather than weeks.

 

[T-Rexx]

Seed media is basically anything from a cycled tank you place in an uncycled tank.

Cycling a tank is simply the process of establishing a colony of (what I'll call) ammonia bacteria (they convert ammonia to nitrite) and a colony of (what I'll call) nitrite bacteria (they convert nitrite to nitrate).

To begin the process of cycling a tank, all you have to do is add ammonia to the water, start running your filter and sit back and wait. This ammonia bacteria and nitrite bacteria are in the air we breath. Eventually a single ammonia bacteria will find it's way into your tank, begin feeding on the ammonia, and start growing a whole colony of ammonia bacteria in your tank. That process will start putting nitrites in your tank. Eventually a single nitrite bacteria will find its way inside your tank, begin feeding on the nitrite and grow a nitrite bacteria colony.

But starting from a single bacterium will require weeks to grow these colonies.

To speed the process along, you take some 'seed media' (basically anything from a cycled tank like a hand-full of gravel, or a filter pad) that already has a colony of a million ammonia and nitrite bacteria on it. Now rather than taking weeks to grow an ammonia colony from a single bacterium, then wait weeks to grow a nitrate colony from a single bacterium, you jump start the process with a small colony from the 'seed media' and your tank cycles in days rather than weeks.

Woah! Cool! I've known what cycling was but never had it described to me like that! That's awesome! Thanks! I will probably take some pad from my 60 gallon and get my 10 gallon tank going ^_^ (in this case) Seems a better idea than gravel! My 60 is black sand and my 10 is white sand and rocks! lol

 

[T-Rexx]

The sponge has got a hole in one end that the intake pipe goes through. It's a tight fit so it doesn't move.
Seeded media is used filter media that contains bacteria.

OOOOOOOOOh! Haha sounds simple enough! Awesome thanks a bunch! ^_^

 

[ocminpin]

LOL! Wow! No wonder I can never get some good answers! I am SUPER glad I found this site! It's been amazing what I've learned on here! Ya know the first time I started a tank I didnt know anything. At all! I asked 4 people at petsmart what I needed to start a tank and what I needed to know. All of them told me get water conditioner a filter heater. your good to go. They even helped me pick out $95 worth of fish to put in my new fish tank. (UNCYCLED) suprise suprise! in a few short days they ALL died and two had bad ick. I marched my butt back in there FURIOUS! Let's just say I got every penny of my money back. It's unbelieveable. Found this site and someone told me of new tank syndrom and how to actually care for a tank, its awesome!

Oh I so hear ya there! On Day 3 of my uncycled 10g with 9 fish (including a CAE) I called Petsmart to ask why my tank was so milky/cloudy.., they told me I had "New Tank Syndrome" and not to worry because it happened in every new tank and it would go away in a few days WITHOUT HARMING MY FISH! Granted, it didn't kill anyone, but what a horrible time
for those fish to have to live in a pool of Ammonia :-(

 

[LyndaB]

I've asked multiple people at petsmart if you could cycle a top fin filter and how, and all have told me you cant. There's no where to sustain good bacteria.

Sadly, many chain store employees toss out these little kernels of wisdom.....