quick cycle

[tinymitymo]

Hi all
we set up our new 28 g bowfront aquarium last Sunday evening. I tossed in the old filters from my 2 g Eclipse (1 betta, 2 mosquito fish, 3 snails with good water parameters) and 1.5 g betta tanks and some of the gravel from the 2 g. On Tuesday we added three different types of live plants. On Wednesday we moved the 2 mosquito fish over. They are doing fine swimming around their new huge home. The water tests 0 for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate so it's not really cycled. I think there is enough bacteria in the filters and rocks I moved over to support the two tiny fish though. Today I found a cool new lfs and bought a nice chunk of driftwood with a anubias plant attached. She said it had been in the store tank for about a year so it should have lots of good bacteria on it. Tonight after it's been in most of the day the numbers are still all 0.
With only two tiny fish and adding all the substrate from the other tanks will I see ammonia and nitrite spikes? With the live plants will I see nitrate spikes? When do you think I could add a half a dozen Danios?
thanks, Maureen

[tinymitymo]

no input from anyone? Today's water params are still all 0 although if you squint and try hard it looks like there may be a touch of color in the ammonia tube.

[Rbishop]

With all of that and such a light bio load, you may not. i'd give it at least a week to settle out and then add slowly letting things catch up.

[Star_Rider]

what rbishop said.

with what you have you may not see any ammonia or nitrite . but monitoring is a good thing.

sounds like you have gotten started out okay it just may take awhile for things to settle .

watch for nitrates. if there is no ammonia,nitrite and nitrates start climbing slowly you are ready for a couple small new fish.(after the tank settles and you can get readings)

[amosf]

I set up and rebuilt two 220l tanks recently (a new tank and a cleanup on an old tank) and split the media/substrate between them and even with a heavy goldfish load in one tank there was only a brief spike over two days. With the lower load rainbowfish tank I saw no spike at all... So with enough media and low fish, it can be very smooth.

[tinymitymo]

cool. that's what I was hoping. I may hit the lfs on Sunday to look at the Danios.
Thanks all!