Jighead said:
Does a smaller tank, like a 5 gallon take less time to cycle than a larger tank? ... I imagine because the volume of water is a lot less than the cycle would also take less time. Please correct me if i am wrong.
I'm no expert, but from my understanding of cycling, this would
not apply. Half the water does not equal half the cycle time. It's kind of like asking:
If I only half fill my dishwasher, will it run in half the time? Nope! Your tank still has to go through the same biological processes to grow the bacteria it needs. There are some variations (small tanks don't have to grow as
much bacteria, for instance) but basically you can't make something grow more quickly than nature allows.
However, like ejk0799, I'm a big fan of
CHEATING! If you can add bacteria from another tank, cycling is a doddle. Gravel, filter sponges - the tank you steal them from will replace the bacteria quickly, and your new tank will be 'instantly' cycled. I've done three tanks this way (5g, 55g and 86g), and have never had a problem.
Remember: Cycling is about the bacteria, not the water!