Don't Laugh - Need Answer to Cycling Tank

I have a 55 gal. tank that is fully cycled and I have a 10 gal. that has been cycling with a HOB filter and Bio sponge filter. The 10 gal. is fishless at this point so it isn't really cycling. I am getting ready to clean my 1000 Cascade Bio filter on the 55 gal. and do a water change. Is there any reason why I cannot take the water from the 55 gal and put into the 10 gal. and rinse the sponges from my Cascade bio filter into the 10 gal. tank to boost the cycling process? Oh, and I am also setting up a Fluval 206 on the 10 gal. today and getting rid of the HOB filter. Shouldn't this put the good bacteria into the Fluval and advance the cycling? Any comments or suggestions? I am wanting to set the 10 gal. up as a shrimp only tank. Thanks.

I would take the water from the 55 and call it good. Add the fish or what ever you are putting in there. Were only talking about 10 gallons of water... Maybe move a few rocks over if there are any? Just check it daily and see where your nitrates are, and water changes as needed.

well...the water has little bacteria in it..as well as the substrate, I have removed all my substrate in the past with out as much as a bump in any of my tests, as well as all the water.

best bet is to squeeze your filter in or better yet remove a part of the filter media from the 55g and place it in the filter of the 10g.

good luck^_^

I've done both with great success. I do feel that the adding filter media is your best bet as that is where the good bacteria is (unless you had an undergravel filter in the 55, which you didn't say that you did)

Though I have also gone the less humane method and got guppie fry free off of craigslist to cycle the tanks, then when I was ready to add my "forever fish", I used the fry as snacks for my adult cichlids.....

Take some of the established filter media over and you will be golden. I also use Seachem stability just to make sure nothing goes haywire, this has worked for me from 10gals to 240gals. The only reason I see taking some water from an established tank is because it has small amounts of nitrogenous waste (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) to help the seed bacteria out a bit.

& 2 & 3 & 4.

Great - thank you everyone - that is exactly what I did - moved the water over, cleaned the media in the 10 gal and moved a bit of the media from the existing filter to the new filter...now we wait.

Instant cycle baby! I would still check for ammonia spike the 1st couple days after introducing fish, just incase.

theChad wrote:Instant cycle baby! I would still check for ammonia spike the 1st couple days after introducing fish, just incase.

Woot woot - checked the water today 0 nitrites, 0-.25 Amonia and 7.6 PH - need to get the PH down, and hopefully the amonia will dissappear here in the next couple of days - but if it doesn't, I can just keep dosing with Prime - right?

I wouldnt keep dumping prime in. Its not high enough to be concerned by adding more chemicals. Less chemicals the better. I would go pick up some beneficial bacteria, and add that. Or take a piece of wood or decoration from the established tank, and set it in the new tank.

You shouldnt have any problems. I just set up my 285 and all I did was add 1/3 of the water from existing tanks, and then just put existing media from another tank into this one. No issues, and I have 6 large fish in there already.

madness wrote:I wouldnt keep dumping prime in. Its not high enough to be concerned by adding more chemicals. Less chemicals the better. I would go pick up some beneficial bacteria, and add that. Or take a piece of wood or decoration from the established tank, and set it in the new tank.

You shouldnt have any problems. I just set up my 285 and all I did was add 1/3 of the water from existing tanks, and then just put existing media from another tank into this one. No issues, and I have 6 large fish in there already.

I am green with envy (285 gal. tank) - Yum... Okay - sounds like a plan. Wood will bring down the ph is that what you are saying? How about peat in the filter? I am trying to get it down below 7. What a pain - I am thinking of going with distilled water for this tank for top offs and water changes in the future. All because I want shrimp...LOL Thanks Madness