LoL. I can affod a new 20g with C02, high lights, and plants, but not the Bio-Spira. Besides whats a 13 year old going to do :huh:
Best Way to Cycle Large Tank
- Thread starter bdobosz
- Start date
Importing bacteria
If you are pretty sure that the 55 g tank is healthy, then you can just import bacteria from that tank.
Just set the whole tank up and take media or a sponge from the old tank filter to the new tank filter. Put it in the bottom of the canister or upstream of the flow in a HOB. The flow of water will encourage the bacteria to populate the new media pretty quickly.
Your choice as to how to feed the new filter, with existing media to import bacteria from, I'd vote for adding a few fish, then slowly stocking the tank by doubling the load every 2 or 3 weeks depending on the water tests. That is, start with a small group of fish and add another small group, in whatever order makes the most sense given the territory issues that may come up and individual sensitivities of fish.
If you are pretty sure that the 55 g tank is healthy, then you can just import bacteria from that tank.
Just set the whole tank up and take media or a sponge from the old tank filter to the new tank filter. Put it in the bottom of the canister or upstream of the flow in a HOB. The flow of water will encourage the bacteria to populate the new media pretty quickly.
Your choice as to how to feed the new filter, with existing media to import bacteria from, I'd vote for adding a few fish, then slowly stocking the tank by doubling the load every 2 or 3 weeks depending on the water tests. That is, start with a small group of fish and add another small group, in whatever order makes the most sense given the territory issues that may come up and individual sensitivities of fish.
I cycled my 210g w/ no spikes by importing media from my 75g tank and stocking very lightly. For the first month the tank was home to a juvenile bichir (at about 4") and a brown knife fish (at approximately 5"). Never was there any detectable ammonia or nitrite. If you don't mind slowly introducing fish, using seeded media from another healthy established tank is my preferred method.
Barring that, I'd recommend using seeded media with bottled ammonia until your tank is stable.
Barring that, I'd recommend using seeded media with bottled ammonia until your tank is stable.
Thanks for the advice everyone. Taking into account everyone's input, I took one of the HOB's off my establised 55g tank and moved it onto the 210G to get things under way. I have some fish in the 55G that I would like to move over, I am going to gradually move them over the next month or so and watch for any spikes. They include a 7" common Pleco, 3 Pictus Cats 3" each, and a 4" 3-Spot Gourami. My main concern is getting them moved over a months time thinknig everything is going fine then have a spike as the load increases.
I second the seeding method.
What i would have done is...
1) taken all new media from the new filters for the 210g, and then thrown them in the 55g tank, somewhere with high water flow (or in the filters if you could).
2) left them there to seed for a few weeks.
3) taken the 'seeded' media and thrown it in the new filters along with some fish to provide a source of ammonia.
I think you should throw some fish in the 210 now so your bacteria have a source of food.
What i would have done is...
1) taken all new media from the new filters for the 210g, and then thrown them in the 55g tank, somewhere with high water flow (or in the filters if you could).
2) left them there to seed for a few weeks.
3) taken the 'seeded' media and thrown it in the new filters along with some fish to provide a source of ammonia.
I think you should throw some fish in the 210 now so your bacteria have a source of food.
When you vacuum the gravel in the 55 just dump that scummy water in the big tank. It will pull bacteria, ditrius and waste into the big tank.
You can also wring out your sponges from the 55 into the big tank and let the filters seed.
Worked with my transition from a 35 to a 110.
Good luck, and link some pics into your signature.
You can also wring out your sponges from the 55 into the big tank and let the filters seed.
Worked with my transition from a 35 to a 110.
Good luck, and link some pics into your signature.
bdobosz said:
As soon as you move the filter, you need to move some fish. Otherwise the bacteria will waste away with no food.
Do as everone has been telling you but dont think you can get away with not doing the cycle. If you are going to put in fish straight away make sure you watch them very carefuly and check water for NH3 and NO2. I have cycled some big tanks and they are different to smaller tanks. It took me almost 4 months for the nitrites to go down in my 1850g tank and i put in 50g of filter media out of a cycled tank, I must admit the nitrites were below 0.25ppm ,but even then at those levels it affects the fish in a big way. Good luck. :dive2:
