Ammonia Cycling Filter Media

[lordofthesea]

having got a high ammonia reading a a newly set up tank (20 litres 3 fish in it - don't think i cycled it properly) i took one of the three filter sponges from one of my well matured tanks (been running for four years so definately mature had fish in it for almost as long) and put it in the filter in the new tank in placeof its filter sponge which i put in the filter of the old tank. ammonia is about 0.75 in the new tank 0 in the old one. did a 1/2 water change yesterday. will this solve the problem? also will the change in filter media in the old tank affect the fish? There's lots in there so i really don't want even the slightest thing to happen....

Please reply
lordofthesea.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

this will help but may not totally solve the problem, test the water in both tanks every day and if you get any reading for ammonia or nitrite do a water change. you need to keep them both below 0.25ppm all the time while doing a fish-in cycle.

how much of the total media did you take from the old tank, usually one third is safe to take without risking the other tank, if you did more than this you may have two cycling tanks now instead of one.

 

[lordofthesea]

it WAS about a third

 

[OldMan47]

Your old tank should be fine with losing 1/3 of the media. It will probably recover that much bacteria in only a day or two. The cloned filter should also cycle fairly quickly but it may take a few large water changes before things settle in and work right.