Can You Start Shoaling With A Partially Filled Tank

[stackem evs]

Hi, have a new tank sat in the garage, will stay there for 2 to 3 weeks before looking at moving into the house.

Rather than fill it right up to start the fishless cycle then move it indoors (don't know what damage it may do to the cycle), could I give it a partial fill, add gravel, some tanksafe and nutrafin cycle supplement. Maybe some flaked food? Will this start the cycle?

I have a fluval 4 plus does this need to be on and causing circlation in the water and flow through the filters. Would having the lights on, and maybe some real plants make a difference.

Feel free to tell me I'm wasting my time, and just wait the extra 2/3 weeks. Thanks

 

[Chri$]

I would wait untill you move it indoors beofre you set it all up - should be much less hassel.

Could you try and get some mature media from a friend or your LFS?

 

[Irf]

Cycling it while it's in the garage is a good idea. Then there is less temptation to cycle with fish!

I would do it this way:

You must have the filter submerged and switched on, so you will probably need to put quite a bit of water in the tank. Also put the heater in and turn it up quite high - it speeds things up. Don't put the gravel in - it will make it easier to move the tank later. Use the Nutrafin Cycle and Tanksafe (is this dechlorinator?). Leave the lights off, because all this will do is cause an algae explosion in the tank.

Follow the fishless cycling instructions elsewhere on this forum.

When it's complete, you can fill a bucket with the tank water and put the filter into it. It will be fine for a short while until you have drained, moved and refilled the tank with fresh dechlorinated water. If you leave the filter out of water the bacteria will die and you'll be back to square one. At that point you must immediately add your intended level of fish stocking, or add ammonia to keep the bacteria "fed"......

Hope that helps.

Irf.

 

[InaneCathode]

As they said, you need to have the water circulating (otherwise how would your bacteria get their food?) and a heater installed (dont want bateriacicles do you?) I would, were i you, try my very hardest to find pure ammonia. While fishfood does work, it also dumps a ton of chemicals you dont want into your water (read phospates, nitrates, various other compounds) that'll later create huge algae problems.

I guess to answer you, yes, do it in the garage and save yourself the 3 weeks but make sure you have the filter running and a heater keeping it heated. Leave the gravel/plants/everything else out as the bacteria only live (maybe partially also on the gravel, but neglegable so its ok) on your filter. It'll be way easier to decorate and stock all at once rather than stretching it out over weeks.