Aquaclear Filter Cycling

[thezodiac]

so i have an aquaclear 70 filter on my 35 gallon tank thats fully cycled, im going to start up a 5 gallon tank using an aquaclear 20(mini) and i want to cycle its filter before the tank gets here.

i can set the filter in the top of the 70 filter housing, but it sits about 1/2 in the water, 1/2 in the air.

will it still cycle this way? (at least the half thats int the water?)

also how long do you think it will take for it to build up good bacteria ?

in the 5 gallon tank i will probably have either 1 dwarf puffer or 1 male betta.

im thinking when i get it ill let it run for a day, pop in the cycled filter, should i put in a few shrimp and let it run for a while to cycle before putting in the dwarf puffer?

 

[fluttermoth]

It takes around six weeks for new filters to be colonised.

IMO, you'd be better off just 'donating' a part of your cycled filter's media to put in the new filter; you're cycled for a small fish or two right away then.