Upgrading and cycling.

[Luke Jaywalker]

I'm going to be going from a 10g to a 20g and was wondering about speeding up cycling since I already have a well-established aquarium. I am going to use new sediment since the stuff I have in my current tank isn't so natural looking, but if I wasn't changing the sediment, would it be possible to simply transfer everything out of the 10g to the 20g and cheat the cycle?

I'm not planning on doing that since I'm pretty sure that with the new gravel, I'll have to do some cycling. I do have several healthy plants I could transfer as well as the current, bacteria-filled filter bag, but I'm really looking for tips on speeding up cycling that pertain to my situation.

I'm also considering getting two or three new fish to help with a fishy cycle. I'd rather do a fishless, but it almost seems more sensible to kill two birds with one stone and quarantine the iffy fish they sell around here.

 

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

If you transfer objects and plants and definitely the filter media, you will cut down on alot of cycling time...MAKE SURE THE WATER YOU ADD IS DECHLORINATED or you will kill any beneficial bacteria. Let the tank run for a few days and check your levels...Slowly add fish, maybe one ever 7 days or so and watch your ammonia and nitrite like a hawk...If you start to see levels rise, do water changes and stop adding fish until everything is back to normal...

 

[Luke Jaywalker]

Well, after talking to some of my friends, I just filled up the tank halfway with new water, put in the substrate, conditioned the water and then put literally everything else from the old tank in a few hours later (excluding the substrate and a tacky sunken ship). I've tested for ammonia twice in the past week and both times it's come up as 0ppm, so I'm guessing we're in the clear. The fish are adjusting well, but I wonder if the new filter is on too high a setting for them since they avoid that part of the tank.