New 200L Tank Cycle

[Shifty1303]

hi all!
 
quick question here. have just bought a new fluval roma 200 with a u4 internal filter and 200w heater. im going to do a fish-less cycle using ammonia hydroxide from homebase and my api master test kit as per the instructions on the sticky thread in this section.
 
my question is do i have to fill the whole 200l to cycle? or can i lay the filter down on the bottom so its submergerd along with the heater (about 70-80l of water) in order to make the process simpler using less ammonia and having to remove and waste less water when i do the big 80% nitrate reducing wc at the end? i will of course do the 3ppm additions and monitor the process carefully to ensure a full cycle but will using half the water volume to cycle cause problems when i set it up with the full 200l after?
 
thanks for any help!
 
edit: i have a well established juwel 110l already. how much can adding established media or even just wringing out the filter sponges into the new tank speed up a cycle beyond the 6ish weeks its supposed to take? and if adding whole media how much do i need?

 

[b3cca]

Yes add some of your established media as long as you keep enough in your 110 litre to keep it stable.
 
I just did it with my Juwel 300. I simply moved my established cirax and some sponges over from my other tank and dosed the ammonia up to 1 ppm and it was gone within 12 hours hours, re dosed and it was gone again in a few hours which was good enough for me.
 
I doubt water level matters at all. it is the filter media, the substrate and the decor which will house the bacs so as long as they're submerged then It will be fine after all the bacs don't know the tank is not completely full so don't tell them lol

 

[Gruntle]

If you take no more than 1/3 of your filter media from your established tank you're less likely to cause issues with it. Swap some of the media from your new filter and your established tank will recolonise quickly, while giving your new tank a kick-start.