Cycling 90 gallon media and sump freshwater/ amonia

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Ammonia or not

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B

BrokerTamara

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I transferred some media ( filter pads) from 46 gallon, and some seeded bio balls from 46 gallon and some decorations. Should I add pure ammonia measured to see where I am at. I have HOB on 46 gallon and cannot transfer the filter as I have as it does not fit with the canapy. e

Water is in dechloirnated and media transferred and up and running 24 hours.

Now I want to make sure cycled before adding my two blood red parrots.

Pinky.jpg

Pinky.jpg
 
authmal

authmal

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Aug 4, 2011
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If you want to see where your tank is at, test your water. Ammonia and nitrite should be 0, and there should be some nitrate reading that isn't 0.
 
Last edited:
OrionGirl

OrionGirl

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Challenge it with ammonia. Just testing when there's no source of ammonia won't prove anything.
 
FreshyFresh

FreshyFresh

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Be careful of what type of household ammonia you plan on adding to the 90g (if that's the route you're planning). Make sure there's no perfumes, dyes or surfactants in it, which most will have.

I don't see the point in doing that if you've seeded the new tank's filter and added hardscape from a healthy established tank.

I'd add your dechlorinated water, some fish, etc and monitor your important water parameters with a liquid test kit.

You're pretty much going to be instantly cycled by adding that established bio media.
 
OrionGirl

OrionGirl

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The challenge is to determine the size of the bacterial colony that was introduced. Putting in a colony that can process the waste from one fish (thinking the blood parrots, which are large fish that produce a lot of waste) and then adding 2 fish means ammonia levels will rise. Challenge, determine there's a big enough colony to process a significant ammonia load, and you can add fish without the concern. Established media introduces the colony, but doesn't ensure that it's adequate to the new bioload.
 
FreshyFresh

FreshyFresh

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I'm with you OG, that's why I'd add 'some fish' and continue to monitor.

Growing your own by adding your own ammonia is always a great option too, but that's no exact science either.
 
OrionGirl

OrionGirl

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But it doesn't harm the fish. Adding the fish without challenging means you really don't know what will happen. Testing now, without a source of ammonia, doesn't reveal anything. Challenge, test, and decide to either a) add fish and still monitor/test to ensure the colony is up to the load or b) add more ammonia to establish a suitably sized colony and then add the fish and monitor/test as needed.

In the end, I'd rather not expose the fish to ammonia.
 
FreshyFresh

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