How long to wait for tank to be cycled....

T

tmy420

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Oct 16, 2005
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How long do you have to wait for a 10 gallon to cycle if I took gravel out of my bigger tank, added a mini penguin w/ biowheel that was on the other tank, added a couple gallons of aquarium water from the other tank, and added a rock from the other tank?

Also its a cold tank... If I keep the level of the water some what lower can I get away without using a air pump? There seems to be ALOT of tiny air bubbles all over the place.. There also isnt that much gravel at all.. maybe 1/4 inch.

The fish im planning on putting in there are white clouds..
 
You can put fish in immediatly. In fact I would suggest it, if you don't, all the bacteria you transfered from the other tank will die. So, quick, put in your fish, or put the filter back on the other tank until you get fish.
If the biowheel is a hang over the back filter, you don't need a pump. I don't use one, there should be enough surface tension from the little waterfall from you filter. Just make sure there is a little waterfall and that you don't fill up the tank so high as to lose the waterfall. It's not air bubble that oxygenate your water, it's when they brake the film on top of the water when they reach the surface that allows gas exchange. The waterfall will do the same.
 
i beg to differ...sorry. here is why: i filled my 10 gal with 5 gallons from my established tank and i have a small filter going in there. after 2-3 weeks i am still reading ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels. i am a bit confused as to why, but it is so.
so, i am waiting on moving any fish.
 
gabrielandco. said:
i beg to differ...sorry. here is why: i filled my 10 gal with 5 gallons from my established tank and i have a small filter going in there. after 2-3 weeks i am still reading ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels. i am a bit confused as to why, but it is so.
so, i am waiting on moving any fish.
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Was the filter from an established tank? Just water doesn't really have enough of the bacteria to colonize a new tank. Bacteria will die without food, and that food is fish waste, without fish the bacteria will die, and that's why you probably don't have great water, if you didn't put fish in right away. If you put filter media from an established tank into a new tank, along with fish at the same time everything should be fine. If you put too many fish in though you might see nominal readings until the bacteria can multiply to acomodate that much fish. Same thing happens when you add more fish to an established tank. There is only enough bacteria for how ever many fish you have and more have to grow whenever you add more fish.
 
well that would probably explain it...thank you! i didn't use an established filter and i should have re-read the post prior to jumping in with my two cents :coffee:

with my ammonia level, i wouldn't want to add fish- as it applies to my tank. i will add that i have critters in there. i don't know whether they are rotifers, or what. then i see a similar problem...i am planning on replacing the existing filter in my established tank. it doesn't use the same type of media, but perhaps i can rig it temporarily.

on that note, sorry for the confusion.
 
If your getting a new filter then just put the old filter media in the new filter and slowly replace it one piece of media at a time. Or if it doesn't fit in you're new filter just let it float, or sink, in your tank for a couple of days to let the new media get colonized and then after a few days or a week throw out the old stuff and you should be set.
No problem, and good luck guys.
 
gabriel... what's causing the ammonia reading in your tank?

With no fish... there should be no ammonia unless you're adding it. Unless there is ammonia in your big tank? Is that one not fully cycled?

I've set up two ten gallon tanks for people lately. When I add the fish, I add a couple filter sponges from my 75 to the filter on the small tank. In both cases there were VERY slight ammonia/nitrite spikes, but the whole process was done in about a week. Keep up water changes... heavily seeding the tank will make the process go very smoothly.
 
i have no clue whatsoever what is causing the ammonia in my tank. my established one has 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites. i didn't add any ammonia. the only thing i added was stress zyme. this, i thought, was supposed to add bacteria. if you follow directions and add to an established tank on a regular basis, i would think that stress zyme has no ammonia, either. thanks for the tip, sting.

signed,

confused in illinois.
 
i would think that stress zyme has no ammonia, either. thanks for the tip, sting.
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It probably doesn't have ammonia, but whatever is in it most likely died and started rotting which will produce ammonia.
To the best of my knowledge the only "cycling" product in a bottle that actually works is bio-spira.
dave
 
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