# Cycling a tank



## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

i went to a local exotic fish shop to pick up some more water conditioner today, i am trying to cycle my tank (dayam ammonia is dropping so slowly!!) and some salt cause my rbp burned itself with the heater. well anyways, so the owner of the place tells me to just go to the market and pick up a big fat slab of fish fillet and to bury it under the gravel. He said that it would rot and release waste/bacteria and other stuff into the water that would help cycle my tank faster. Whatcha guys think??


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## Rice & Beanz (Oct 30, 2006)

You should get a heater guard for your heater. That will eliminate that issue in the future. I say use bio-spira to quicken your cycle. Maybe get some platys or other fish to help cycle your tank.


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## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

Rice & Beanz said:


> You should get a heater guard for your heater. That will eliminate that issue in the future. I say use bio-spira to quicken your cycle. Maybe get some platys or other fish to help cycle your tank.


imma trash it as soon as my new tank cycles. i got a stealth for the new one.. i used some other nitrifying bacteria for the tank already. : P i threw some fish in and they started doing the death dance within 30 mins. lol.. so im waiting for everything to stabilize a lil more... i threw in some of my old driftwood and gravel.. did water changes... i guess im just eager for it to cycle fasttt... : P


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

There are no fish in the new tank while it is cycling? The bacteria need a source of NH4 to fed on, so they can convert it to NO2, then NO3. Thus, without fish or you directly adding pure NH4 to the tank that whole process is slowing down.

What is the NH4 at currently? Glad to hear that it is going down, but have any NO2 shown up yet?

Yeah, the whole fish fillet thing I would just pass on.


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## Rice & Beanz (Oct 30, 2006)

When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank. That will probably cycle quicker....


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

Rice & Beanz said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.


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## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

i did throw in the drifitwood, gravel and a cut a piece of the old filter, put it in some pantyhose and hung it in the tank. and i threw in some mollies as well...

here are the numbers:

NO2:0ppm
NO3:0ppm
Ammonia:0.25
PH: 7.6


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## Rice & Beanz (Oct 30, 2006)

All you can do now is wait....You did what i would do too...just wait it out, i guess


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## ILLdose13 (Nov 25, 2004)

just buy pure ammonia and pour a bit in..ammonia is cheap..


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## beachangel4182 (Apr 16, 2007)

when i bought my tank it only took about 2 weeks to cycle it... i just made sure that there was always a bunch of fish... i had plecos, goldfish, a convict, a firemouth, some other fish that i liked for the time being... and i just checked the parameters everyday with the test strips... like i said it only took about 2 weeks.

i have never heard of the fish fillet thing... kinda sketch. but i have heard of using cow fertilizer... seems even more sketch to me. since i was going to be spending a lot of money on my p's i figured i would do it the way i knew would work and it ended up being fine.


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## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

Its been 2days.. here are the CURRENT READINGS:

*PH* 7.6 (_same_)
*NO2* 0ppm (_same_)
*NO3* 5.0ppm (_went up from 0.0ppm_)
*Ammonia* 5ppm (_went up from .25ppm_)

How much longer do ya guys think?

SORRY IM ANXIOUS


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

That is odd, you have NH4 and NO3 but no NO2.

Glad to see that you have a stable ph (7.6).

5 ppm NH4 is getting on up there, so keep an eye on it.

How are the mollies doing? Are they still eating, swimming around fine, etc..? I always do a fish cycle, and for me the key is watching the behavior of the fish in the tank (besides the parameters of course).


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## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

Coldfire said:


> That is odd, you have NH4 and NO3 but no NO2.
> 
> Glad to see that you have a stable ph (7.6).
> 
> ...


yeah the zero NO2 was confusing me too.. : P the mollies are fine.. they just eat, follow each other around and they are active. Nothing seems wierd. I dont get it... i guess i will just have to keep watching...

AND AGAIN.. thanks coldfire!!


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

What type of tests are you using? Some test are more accurate than others (e.g. strip tests vs Liquid tests).

Personally, I would let the tank run as is for two weeks before considering adding any pygos. Of course, test and water changes as needed.

No worries, my pleasure to help.


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## wartooth (May 11, 2007)

Coldfire said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.
[/quote]
Great idea. I'm planning on getting a new tank soon. So if I take one of the bio-wheels from my Emperor 400 and place it into the new tank, will it mess up any levels in my current tank? And approximately how much time does this method shorten the cycle to?

When I first got my tank, the LFS worker just gave me a quart of bacteria and said I can just pour it all in at the same time I added the fish. At the time all I got were 4 small plecos and I didn't find my pygos until 2 or 3 weeks later. I guess I just got lucky.


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## Aaronic (Apr 22, 2005)

wartooth said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.
[/quote]
Great idea. I'm planning on getting a new tank soon. So if I take one of the bio-wheels from my Emperor 400 and place it into the new tank, will it mess up any levels in my current tank? And approximately how much time does this method shorten the cycle to?

When I first got my tank, the LFS worker just gave me a quart of bacteria and said I can just pour it all in at the same time I added the fish. At the time all I got were 4 small plecos and I didn't find my pygos until 2 or 3 weeks later. I guess I just got lucky.








[/quote]

Just put the whole emporer 400 on the new tank after u dechlorinate the water....


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## wartooth (May 11, 2007)

Aaronic said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.
[/quote]
Great idea. I'm planning on getting a new tank soon. So if I take one of the bio-wheels from my Emperor 400 and place it into the new tank, will it mess up any levels in my current tank? And approximately how much time does this method shorten the cycle to?

When I first got my tank, the LFS worker just gave me a quart of bacteria and said I can just pour it all in at the same time I added the fish. At the time all I got were 4 small plecos and I didn't find my pygos until 2 or 3 weeks later. I guess I just got lucky.








[/quote]

Just put the whole emporer 400 on the new tank after u dechlorinate the water....
[/quote]
??? I'd like to keep the old tank running, Sir.


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## bustersmom (May 2, 2007)

Coldfire said:


> What type of tests are you using? Some test are more accurate than others (e.g. strip tests vs Liquid tests).
> 
> Personally, I would let the tank run as is for two weeks before considering adding any pygos. Of course, test and water changes as needed.
> 
> No worries, my pleasure to help.


i have the liquid testers from API-aquarium pharmaceuticals. i guess i just have to keep monitoring!


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## Aaronic (Apr 22, 2005)

wartooth said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.
[/quote]
Great idea. I'm planning on getting a new tank soon. So if I take one of the bio-wheels from my Emperor 400 and place it into the new tank, will it mess up any levels in my current tank? And approximately how much time does this method shorten the cycle to?

When I first got my tank, the LFS worker just gave me a quart of bacteria and said I can just pour it all in at the same time I added the fish. At the time all I got were 4 small plecos and I didn't find my pygos until 2 or 3 weeks later. I guess I just got lucky.








[/quote]

Just put the whole emporer 400 on the new tank after u dechlorinate the water....
[/quote]
??? I'd like to keep the old tank running, Sir.
[/quote]

Put your new filter for the new tank on the old tank for a few weeks and it should be pretty good to go....


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

Coldfire said:


> When you do your water changes, maybe you can use that and transfer it to your new tank. *Or get some bacteria from your old filter and put it in your new tank*. That will probably cycle quicker....


There you go! Seed the new tank with some bio-media from your old tank. That is 100% the best way to go about it.
[/quote]

that for sure

my 55 gallon cycles in about 2 days when i have to start from scratch. just squeeze out some dirty filter sponges in to the tank you are cycling. thats another great way to get some extra bacteria in there.


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