Hi i have a 25 gallon cycled tank with 13 fish and i bought a 5 gallon with no fish and its been running 3 days now...question is can i take water from my cycled tank when i do my water change on the weekend and put it in the 5 gallon? Will it speed the cycle process up? Probably a dumb question but had to ask...i put a bit of food in it every 2nd day to get the amonia to spike and then i took a decoration out of my cycled tank and put in as well...would like to put 3 whiteclouds in this weekend to help with the cycling so i can get a betta which should do just fine with the whiteclouds as they are pretty quiet...
water from a cycled tank to a new tank?
- Thread starter bearyconfused
- Start date
There is very little bacteria in the water but it will help a little, if at all.When doing water changes it dosent really matter what water you use. Id just stick with normal tap water. Are you using a filter with your 5g? You could take some media from the 25g and put it in the 5g.
I have heard of people using water from a pre-cycled tank in their new tank to jumpstart the cycle. You would want to get the water from a reliable source and that is not being medicated (obviously if it's your tank the water is coming from you should be fine). Im not sure if it works however. Good Luck! 
The tank decoration transfer was good. Also, you could sprinkle a handful of the big tank gravel over top of the new gravel and/or put some of the old filter media in the new filter. All these will help much more than transferring water from the old tank. Do you have test kits? If you’ve been putting in fish food to create ammonia, you really wouldn’t want to be putting any new fish into that condition.
I have found that using a proportion of water from an established tank (between a 1/4 and 1/3) has helped to avoid that 'new tank cloudyness' that you get with new tanks, its an idea I got from wine making and has worked well for me, but the tank water must come from a healthy, crystal clear tank or it won't work 
In fact I set up a tiny (21litre) last week and 12 hours after putting the water and used sponge in the tank was crystal clear 
the fish went in straight away and there has been no problem with the water - ammonia, nitrites both stayed at 0, Nitrates at 0 too
Regards
Polly
In fact I set up a tiny (21litre) last week and 12 hours after putting the water and used sponge in the tank was crystal clear the fish went in straight away and there has been no problem with the water - ammonia, nitrites both stayed at 0, Nitrates at 0 too Regards
Polly
If you want to transfer nitrifying bacteria (those that oxidize ammonia and nitrite), using water from another tank won't help much. The nitrifying bacteria are mostly attached to surfaces. Getting some filter media from an established (and known-to-be-healthy) tank is your best bet, or some squeezing from same.
If you are having cloudy water problems, water from an existing tank CAN help, as it contains many of the other, non-nitrifying microorganisms that help keep water clear.
Water from a cycled tank generally does little to cycle a new tank.
Jim
If you are having cloudy water problems, water from an existing tank CAN help, as it contains many of the other, non-nitrifying microorganisms that help keep water clear.
Water from a cycled tank generally does little to cycle a new tank.
Jim
Jump Starting the Bio-filter works but it works when using filter media and aquarium decorations. The filter media is the best thing to use. I up sized from a 10 gallon to a 20 and I just let my filter media sit in the water for a week while monitoring the levels of the water. It worked nicely and I was ble to put all my fish in the new tank in under 4 weeks.
i use the filter from my established tank and some of the water as well.i never had to go through another cycle that way
Thanks for all the info guys...i'm currently doing the food thing an i've put some rocks in as well and hopefully this weekend i can add a couple of whitecloud minnows from my established tank...but we'll see after i check the water...it's definately a challenge keeping up on all the info.
Hi,
One of the quickest ways to cycle a tank is to use filter media from a cycled tank A piece of sponge or some of the biofilter (ceramic noodles etc.) will mean that the tank can be used from day one, as long as you put some fish in there as well, as the bacteria on the filter media will need waste products to survive (sterile water is not going to keep filter bacteria alive) Don't clean the sponge, use it as it comes as long as water can go thru and it'll work fine. Plants also help to ensure water quality stays good
One of the quickest ways to cycle a tank is to use filter media from a cycled tank
A piece of sponge or some of the biofilter (ceramic noodles etc.) will mean that the tank can be used from day one, as long as you put some fish in there as well, as the bacteria on the filter media will need waste products to survive (sterile water is not going to keep filter bacteria alive) Don't clean the sponge, use it as it comes as long as water can go thru and it'll work fine. Plants also help to ensure water quality stays good