Will this cycle my filter ?

[twiddlemuffin]

I plan on starting up a new 20g betta tank, I already have the filter for it but I have it running alongside with my already established filter in m already established tank. What I plan to do is set up the tank, put the fish in, then the filter. Will this work okay ?

 

[flitabout]

It might also help to take the old filter sponge and shake/squeeze it in to the new filter to help seed it a bit faster. But yes it will absolutely help to get it established.

 

[twiddlemuffin]

I keep sponges in my filters so could I just switch the sponge from my old filter with the one from my new filter ?

 

[flitabout]

That would work great!

 

[Pleco1415]

That should be ok I've done that before but take the the water from your old tank and put it in the new tank. If it's not enough water to fill up the whole tank just use some fresh water to top it off. If you use the old water in the new tank you won't have to wait for it to cycle. Btw you have one lucky Betta to be in a 20 gallon tank.

 

[Brookster123]

I just started a 20g this way, 24hr cycled fish ready tank!

 

[twiddlemuffin]

That should be ok I've done that before but take the the water from your old tank and put it in the new tank. If it's not enough water to fill up the whole tank just use some fresh water to top it off. If you use the old water in the new tank you won't have to wait for it to cycle. Btw you have one lucky Betta to be in a 20 gallon tank.

That's exactly what I planned to do! It's gonna be for 4 bettas actually, but I do currently have a betta in a 29g basically to himself for now haha he's enjoying all the spac.

 

[twiddlemuffin]

I just started a 20g this way, 24hr cycled fish ready tank!

I hope mine works as well as yours did!

 

[flitabout]

That should be ok I've done that before but take the the water from your old tank and put it in the new tank. If it's not enough water to fill up the whole tank just use some fresh water to top it off. If you use the old water in the new tank you won't have to wait for it to cycle. Btw you have one lucky Betta to be in a 20 gallon tank.

Little if any of beneficial bacteria lives in the water. The bacteria you are trying to grow is sticky and lives on the hard surfaces of the tank. The filter, the glass, driftwood, decorations, and in the substrate. Just go ahead and use fresh water in your new set up.

 

[Pleco1415]

Little if any of beneficial bacteria lives in the water. The bacteria you are trying to grow is sticky and lives on the hard surfaces of the tank. The filter, the glass, driftwood, decorations, and in the substrate. Just go ahead and use fresh water in your new set up.

I don't think your right about that. The most beneficial bacteria grows in the filter witch witch the water is continuously circulating through so it has to have beneficial bacteria in it. You might be right but from my own experience I know that if you start a tank of with a filter that has beneficial bacteria in it you are just going to kill it when you start circulating the new water through it. You can listen to who ever you want but that's just my opinion from my own experience.

 

[Mebbid]

I don't think your right about that. The most beneficial bacteria grows in the filter witch witch the water is continuously circulating through so it has to have beneficial bacteria in it. You might be right but from my own experience I know that if you start a tank of with a filter that has beneficial bacteria in it you are just going to kill it when you start circulating the new water through it. You can listen to who ever you want but that's just my opinion from my own experience.

If most bacteria is in the water then there would be no reason for the main concentration of it to be in the filter. It would be evenly distributed throughout the tank in which case any filter media in your filter would be relatively useless.

Water is surprisingly devoid of life. We had to take samples of local water supplies for my microbiology class and it was actually fairly difficult to find any microbes unless you pulled a sample full of muck. There are bacteria in the water column, but the number is miniscule compared to the amount growing on your filter media.

As for the bacteria dying from being put in new water, some of it might. But not nearly a sizable amount. I've instantly cycled 4 tanks by pulling media from the first tank I did a fishless cycle in.

 

[Brookster123]

Little if any of beneficial bacteria lives in the water. The bacteria you are trying to grow is sticky and lives on the hard surfaces of the tank. The filter, the glass, driftwood, decorations, and in the substrate. Just go ahead and use fresh water in your new set up.

+1 I've instant cycled 2 tanks with fresh primed water and seeded media. About to try a .3rd.