Speeding up cycling?

[daveedka]

Karen,
Use as much of the gravel as you can and as much filter media as you can. If you have any time before the fish arrive, get things started with 2-3 ppm ammonia and the media you borrow. When the fish get there just do a very large volume water change to drop the ammonia to 0 ppm. If you can transfer a significant colony of bacteria, you'll be suprised how quickly they can grow to handle a load. Remember that you can bag the gravel from the ugf, use it to jump start your cycle and then put it back where you got it in a couple of weeks.

Cycling article for reference


dave

 

[Roan Art]

I agree with Dave and Bob.

Also, if you run into trouble with the filter seeding and repeated seedings don't help -- and it does and can happen -- don't hesitate to overnight some Bio Spira to help out. I often do a seeding *and* Bio Spira to ensure a quick or overnight cycle.

Roan

 

[karen99]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm picking the fish up tomorrow; he also wanted me to take some crypts growing in there (surprisingly the fish are ignoring them) so that will also help in seeding the filters.
And I will get the biospira if I have problems. I also have some filter media for absorbing ammonia I can use if the ammonia ever gets dangerously high, don't want to use that unless I have to though.

 

[Chickieepooh2u]

Just finished a 4 day cycle on my 33 gallon. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and 5.0 nitrates. Never had an ammonia spike and didn't think I would because my readings were the same when I cycled my 10 gallon. Used gravel, filter and water from my 20 gallon. Have yet to try Biospira. Hubby dropped some minnows in it yesterday and they seem fine. Now I just have to decide what I want in it. Hmmm....