fievels007 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 How do I go about setting up a new tank? If I transfer some water from my current tank is there anyway of short cutting the month long process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimebag Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 if you can pinch a bit of gunked up filter stuff from your existing filter, it should speed it up heaps. not sure about using just the water, may work but never tried it myself. others may know more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Get the filter you want to use in the new tank, and put it in the old established tank for two weeks or so. then just transfer some water over, transfer the filter over, and chuck a heater in. quick cycle.. Or you could be like me and setup a tank, fill it with water, put a heater in and put the fish in. half my breeding tanks dont have filters, they just run on a heater and airstone, and i do water changes every day or two.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozski Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 I have a 35 litre tank, and started a 180 litre tank 5 weeks ago. I gravel siphoned 10 litres out of my small tank, ie got as much guck from the gravel as possible. Then siphoned the bucket guck back into my new tank (via the overhead filter, through the filter wool). Did that again almost a week later. Added my 2 Danios on day 3 after filling tank, then 5 more on day 6, did a water test every few days, never even registered ammonia or nitrites. I suppose they may have spiked inbetween tests, but as the fish are happy, I doubt it. Added neons 2 weeks after filling tank. Neons spawning next day lol. Only now, nitrates are registering at 5ppm. Thats just my experience. I think my tank was nicely cycled by 2 weeks. Obviously, you can't just chuck all your fish in then because your tank is cycled. Its only cycled for the fish it has in it, so adding more means the bacteria needs to adjust, so you add fish gradually Cycling the filter in an existing tank is a very good method I think, just couldn't do that with the filter that came with my big tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.qian Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 What about fishless cycling? That should be a lot faster as well, just add in pure ammonia solution, so this way you don't have to wait for your fish to start to poop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Take half the media from the existing filter and swap it for half the media in the new filter. Half fill the new tank with water from the other tank (if you want) as well. Not a lot of good bacteria in the water itself though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Taking some media or a whole filter from an established tank seems to work fine. Remember you wont have a fully cycled tank, and still need to build up to a full population of bacteria, but at least you are part way there. You skip those worst first 2 weeks of the cycling, and the tank should be safe for some fish right away. I keep a spare little internal filter that I just run in whatever tank needs some extra help. If I need to set up a new tank it can just go in with the first fish and will handle to filtering for a few fish untill the new tanks filtration starts working. Or you could be like me and setup a tank, fill it with water, put a heater in and put the fish in. half my breeding tanks dont have filters, they just run on a heater and airstone, and i do water changes every day or two.... Yes that will actually work fine if you only have a few fish. The gravel, rocks, plants and glass will all host some bacteria, and the airstone will move enough water to create a 'filter' effect. Not as good as a proper filter because you dont have the same surface area and water flow, but fine for a couple of fish. The next step up is an undergavel filter which is able to draw more water through a bigger layer of gravel and make a better filter. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Yes that will actually work fine if you only have a few fish. The gravel, rocks, plants and glass will all host some bacteria, and the airstone will move enough water to create a 'filter' effect. Yea thats how it could work, but for example on one tank i just have two pots, and a heater in the tank... thats it :lol: No substrate, plants, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Even so, the glass and pot is a breeding ground for bacteria, just not very many. :-? Best keep up the water changes Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Best keep up the water changes Daily :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fievels007 Posted August 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 So helpful everyone! What would I do without this site?!!! ....hmm, probably panic a lot more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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