npbarca
Members
I need to quick cycle my 40b for some fish that I need to order soon.
What is the best way?
What is the best way?
cichlidaddicted
Members
Take filter media from another tank that is established maybe add some bb in a bottle
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Localzoo
Board of Directors
Sounds weird but take sponge out if cycled tank and squeeze it out/rinse into the breeder tank. It will be cloudy and reddish for a days maybe less but you added bacteria plus waste by doing this eventually the filter will suck up the water and the bacteria will colonize the new filter media.
Or run the new filter on the older more established tank until fish get here.
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Or run the new filter on the older more established tank until fish get here.
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jonclark96
Past CCA President
As others have stated, taking media (or even the whole filter) from a running tank and move it to the new tank. This is one of the reasons I have multiple filters running on most of my tanks, the other being redundancy in case one filter breaks down.
npbarca
Members
I have a 75 gallon tank with a bio wheel filter, and my filter on the 40 is a biowheel. Im thinking of adding about 20 gallons from my 75 and moving one of the two biwheels from my 75 to the 40b filter. Will adding products like safestart help?
jonclark96
Past CCA President
Water from a running tank won't add beneficial bacteria to the tank. The BB is on surfaces in the tank, not in the water. If you already have the filter for the new tank and the fish haven't arrived yet, start running it on your existing tank now. It will start the BB growing in the bio media.
Localzoo
Board of Directors
mchambers
Former CCA member
Moving the biowheel is a good idea. Moving the water won't do anything, as Jon said.
jonclark96
Past CCA President
Sorry, Will. Missed it the first time. Good advice.
Localzoo
Board of Directors
npbarca
Members
How long would it cycle I I only added the old bio wheel?
Localzoo
Board of Directors
A week or more BN would die without food source.
Adding the filter would take 24-48 hours to seed it.
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npbarca
Members
Would adding a product such as safestart help speed up the cycle?
jonclark96
Past CCA President
When are the fish coming? Why not run both filters on your tank now?
I've heard good reviews about SmartStart, but have not used it my self. I've always just taken filters and or media from my exiting tanks for all the tanks I've set up in the last 5 years.
I've heard good reviews about SmartStart, but have not used it my self. I've always just taken filters and or media from my exiting tanks for all the tanks I've set up in the last 5 years.
npbarca
Members
I haven't ordered them yet but I need to soon so they don't go out of stock again.
I can cycle for about a week, an however many days it takes after I place my order
I can cycle for about a week, an however many days it takes after I place my order
chriscoli
Administrator
It won't speed things up if you can put an established filter on the new tank.....what's in the established filter is equal to or better than what's in a bottle.
It won't hurt anything either if you want to toss some it. If it makes you feel better (extra insurance) then do it too.
npbarca
Members
So just putting in established media will cycle it in a week?
chriscoli
Administrator
Putting an established filter on the tank will cycle it instantly. If you put it on an empty tank too soon, the bacteria won't have any food (ammonia) and will go dormant. So wait until you have fish in the new tank, and put an old, established filter on. Instant cycle, no waiting.
npbarca
Members
Alright. So my plan is to run up to congressional today to see what products like safestart they have, and add that to the tank today. When te fish get here ill move the bio wheel from my established tank to the 40. Does that sound good
chriscoli
Administrator
Sure, but if you add safe start to an empty tank too soon, the bacteria there will go dormant, too. Don't add it until you get your fish and move the filter over.