How long should I wait

[xt-550]

HELLO everyone,I just moved from a 70gl to a 135gl,kept all the bio in both F-405;s and put about 60gl of water from the old to the new.The new tank has a slate bg and new gravel and has finally been up and running for a couple days now.Going to do a water test today,if it checks out,would it be alright to add a couple fish every other day.Oh ya, there all cichlids.

[Rbishop]

Yep, you will be fine..just monitor and do water changes as required.

[Weezer]

Feel free to post some pic's in the photo section when its up and running........:)

[xt-550]

Hey Rob, how ya do;in.Thanks for the reply,I kinda thought I would be fine,just wanted to make sure.Have a stocking Q if you dont mind.It;s kinda messed up I think.All bought a year ago, all male,3 -4",1 of each we went for color unknowingly,probably a common mistake with cichlids untill you get the addiction.Current list.
pleco
sunshine peacock
brichardi
perlmut
frontosa-b
moorii
red german
calvus
and 1 partilapia bleekeri larga spot 5.5"
Not in to breeding,and I would like to get more red in either tank,or all in the 135gl.I do like the peacocks,something like a strawberry,red ruby.

[xt-550]

Going to,probably at the end of this week.Hopefully my fish make it.

[ChrisK]

Has the new tank had an ammonia source to keep the bio filter alive...if not you will probably have at least a mini-cycle

[xt-550]

Nope no ammonia source,I figured that by leaving all the bio from the 2 filters that ran for 2 weeks in the other tank would be good I thought I;d be good.Really kinda new at this.

[ChrisK]

Your going to have to re-cycle it then. IMO the bacteria can't live for 2 weeks with nothing to keep it alive.

[kelly82]

i thought it had been in the new tank for a couple of days without ammonia not 2 weeks, surely in just a couple of days not all the bacteria would have died? though it needs to have some ammonia sooner rather than later, but surely some of the particles trapped in the media from when it was running in the old tank would have sustained them for a couple of days? just my opinion, and im far from an expert!

[Star_Rider]

no need to cycle/re cycle. as long as you have an existing established tank you have a source for bacteria you need..
if you find a mini cycle you can simply add bacteria from the established tank.
easy to do if you have sponges or filter floss in the filter.