Cycling new tank?

[stpower]

I got a 10G breeding tank setup for guppies and was wondering if I have to wait for it to cycle? I took a filter that was there about a month and an 2L ice-cream tub of gravel about half full from my 30G tank and put it in my new tank. I am not planning on putting any substarte in this tank so I left the gravel in the tub. I also used 100% of the water from already cycled tanks. I have 2 rosy red feeders in the tank aswell. I won't have the guppies until the 18th so should the tank be ok by then? I was planing on takeing the gravel out when the guppies arrived.

Also, how many of each should I get, male to female? I was going to get already pregnant females.

 

[morleyz]

If you want to be sure, just take the fish out and add a few drops of clear ammonia. If you don't see any ammonia or nitrites, you should be fine. But if you don't want to do that, just do water tests before you put the guppies in, you'd probably be just fine.

As far as the numbers go...1 Male to every 3 or 4 females should be a pretty good ratio for reproduction.

 

[Rocketman]

Morleyz, with all due respect, I don't think thats neccesary. In my 15 gallon breeder, I added 2 ornaments from a cycled tank, a little used filter media, if any, I cant remember. I added a few pieces of gravel, and a little water from the cycled tank, nothing else from cycled tanks. I added some old red gravel, and some old ornaments, both in dry storage for at least 5 years, and it was cycled in a day or two.

 

[Randy]

Remember beneficial bacteria does not float around in the water, it attaches itself to surfaces, gravel, decorations, filter media ect. So do not assume that because you are using water from an established cycled tank for your new tank that things should be fine. Use your gravel, filter media, decorations from your old tank, u will have a better chance i think. Like the other post mentioned, add your own ammonia and then test for it. If there is no trace of ammonia then u will know that the beneficial bacteria called NITROSOMONAS, the bacteria that breaks down ammonia to nitrites is establised in your tank. Now u must check for nitrites. If there is no trace of nitrites then u will know that the beneficial bacteria called NITROBACTER, breaks down nitrites to nitrates, is establised in your tank. Remember adding fish to a tank that has not yet establised NITROBACTER bacteria would be the same as you sitting in your car in a closed garage with the engine running. Nitrite does the same thing to fish as carbon monoxide does to humans. Now if there is no nitrites present go ahead and add those fish to the 10 gallon. Just control your nitrate levels through water changes. i know far more information then u were looking for.

 

[Faramir]

I suggest swapping some gravel between the established and the new tanks.

Otherwise the bacteria will mostly stay on the "temporary" gravel in the ice-cream tub.