Cycling question

[tttnjfttt]

I've got a question about cycling my new tank. I bought a 20 gallon tank on tuesday (three days ago) and I put the gravel in it from my old tank (5 gal), shook the bio spounge into the new water, then placed the spounge into my new filter. Today, I checked the ammonia and nitrates in my water, and both were zero. The tank currently has three zebra danios in it.

my questions are: If ammonia was going to accumulate in the tank, would I see it this soon? If I should have been seeing amonia by now, can i try taking out the old spounge that is sitting in the filter and see how the tank reacts? Can i try adding new fish now or should I wait?

thanks
Nicole

 

[Torrean]

three danios over three days probably won't produce enough ammonia to overcome an established five gallon filter. Since danios need to be in groups anyway why not get two more and see if your ammonia goes up a little. I'd wait for more opinions on this one as it is a touchy topic.

 

[yvez9]

if your 5 gallon tank was cycled and you took the sponge from that filter into your new filter, it will be cycled.

just increase your stocking levels slowly as to not cause an ammonia or nitrite spike.

 

[rdd1952]

if your 5 gallon tank was cycled and you took the sponge from that filter into your new filter, it will be cycled.

just increase your stocking levels slowly as to not cause an ammonia or nitrite spike.

I might add one thing to clarify yvez9's statement. After moving the filter and gravel, the new tank will be cycled for the amount of fish in the 5 gallon tank, not competely cycled for the full stock load you will eventually have in the 20 gallon. But by increasing your stocking level slowly, you will be fine.

 

[fatguppy]

Sorry to change the subject here but I noticed that rdd1952 (is that a name?!) you say you have pristellas.

WE have three and I cannot find any info on them anywhere. They seem perfectly happy and just go with the flow. But I would be interested to know which genus they are from - I assume that they are a type of tetra from their looks, but I really have been unable to find out anything about them in all the literature I have read.

Do they need any special help or are they as laid back as they seem.

 

[tttnjfttt]

I've got another question. My fault, i didn't make this clear in my first post. Fhe spounge from my old filter doesnt' really fit into my new filter, its just cramed in there until the bacteria has a chance to grow onto the new one. Should I try removing the spounge and see how much of the bacteria has grown and if i will get an amonia spike? Before craming the old spounge into the new filter i shook it out into the tank water to try to get some bacteria caught in the new filter.

thanks,
Nicole

 

[Torrean]

I believe you can cut filter media to fit your filter. Example cut it in half and put both halves in back to back. Just a thought.

 

[rdd1952]

You can just hang the sponge in the tank if you have a way to do it. It doesn't have to actually be in the filter. As long as it is in the tank, that is the important thing. You can cut the sponge as mentioned earlier but that would prevent you from being able to ever use it in the other filter again.

 

[Torrean]

good point good point.