Since I can't make up my mind about what I want to put in the 55 gallon tank I have been setting up, I think I will simply move the residents of my current 10 gallon setup into the 55 gallon for now just to get used to maintaining the bigger tank. Also, this will give me a chance to replace the goofy blue gravel substrate in my ten gallon with sand (while it is empty). I figure that at some point I will move some of these guys back into the 10 gallon depending upon their compatibility with whatever I decide to put in the 55 gallon. Or who knows, maybe I'll just bail on the 10 gallon altogether and just keep one tank.
Anyway.....
The 55 gallon is full of water and the filter (Eheim canister 2215) has been running for about a week. There is nothing in the tank but substrate and the tank is not cycled. The current residents of the 10 gallon are listed in my signature, they definitely will not put much of a bioload on the new tank, but I would like to cycle the new tank as painlessly as possible. Below are the steps I am planning on taking to help the cycle along:
1) Move all the plants (several live plants) and driftwood from old tank to new tank
2) Put a bunch of gravel in a filter bag and put it in my canister filter, near the bottom, above the macaroni looking things, but below the rock thingies.
3) Maybe also hang a bag of gravel from old tank inside new tank?
4) Should I squeeze some "juice" from my old filter media into my canister?
Will this give me anything close to an "instant" cycle? I will definitely monitor the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels like a hawk, but I would just like an idea of what to expect, or I wonder if there is some other I approach I should take instead.
Thanks in advance!
Anyway.....
The 55 gallon is full of water and the filter (Eheim canister 2215) has been running for about a week. There is nothing in the tank but substrate and the tank is not cycled. The current residents of the 10 gallon are listed in my signature, they definitely will not put much of a bioload on the new tank, but I would like to cycle the new tank as painlessly as possible. Below are the steps I am planning on taking to help the cycle along:
1) Move all the plants (several live plants) and driftwood from old tank to new tank
2) Put a bunch of gravel in a filter bag and put it in my canister filter, near the bottom, above the macaroni looking things, but below the rock thingies.
3) Maybe also hang a bag of gravel from old tank inside new tank?
4) Should I squeeze some "juice" from my old filter media into my canister?
Will this give me anything close to an "instant" cycle? I will definitely monitor the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels like a hawk, but I would just like an idea of what to expect, or I wonder if there is some other I approach I should take instead.
Thanks in advance!
