Cycling w/Existing Tank Contents

JLGVUSN

JLGVUSN

Registered Member
May 20, 2007
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Nashville TN
Will this work?

Daughter has healthy 55 gal tank, artificial plants. I got my grandaughter an Eclipse 6 gal set-up for Christmas. Could dau put an Ecllipse cartridge into her tank now to "cook" for the next two weeks? Then, the day after Christmas, could they set-up the new Eclipse with the (?) cycled cartridge, gravel from the existing tank (plus a little new, after all, it's grandau's tank!), water from dau's tank, a couple new artificial plants, AND have a completely cycled tank ready for fish that very day?

Suggestions, tips, advice?

Thanks, Janice
29 gal A: Four angels, 1 german blue ram, 2 julii corys, 1 powder blue gourami, 2 otos
29 gal B: 6 neons, 3 black skirt tetras, 3 serpae tetras, 2 julii corys, 1 gold algae eater (falling down on the job), 2 zebra danios
 
are suggesting that you want to place the filter media from the eclispe into the existing tank?(filter)

and let it sit in there until you are ready to set up the new tank?(2weeks)

yes you can do this and help establish bacteria in the new filter material.

2 weeks would be the minimum time..so you should be okay to populate the new set up (slowly) but do monitor as the bacteria may need to catch up.
btw, if you see any small spikes in the new tank you can still transfer some of the bacteria via the 'squeezins method' to help speed the cycle.
 
Hello :)

I am the "daughter" ;) thank you for the advice. I have added the media to my filter, and I also have a large net full of gravel sitting at the bottom of my tank (not sure how I'll explain that one when DD gets home, but I'll figure something out...lol).

Will filling her tank with water from mine help, I wonder? I think she is going to want the 3 white mollies that I have in my tank, so if I use the water they are already in... they should be happy, right? (I think they will be happier no matter what anyway as they are not very happy with the giant danios they are currently living with.)
 
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When your ready to put the fish in just place the newly seasoned media in the new filter :). The water itself wont help the cycle, most beneficial bacteria is in the filter and on substrate, decor etc. The only way the old water will help is if you don't do regular water changes in your established tank. Putting fish in "cleaner" water can shock them, this is called ots or old tank syndrome.
 
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It will work fine. Can you put the new filter on the existing tank or is it built into the lid...
 
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