Cycle Has Crashed.

[ShoC]

My cycle has crashed on my main planted tank No Nitrite/Nitrate only ammonia

I'm thinking of the fastest method to get my tank cycled again and this is my idea.
If I keep up with my water changes for the tank,

Get my air pump make a sponge filter get that cycled ASAP then stuff pieces of the sponge into my Main cannister and I should be cycled again (within reason)
but does anyone know how long the bacteria would take to migrate over???

I'm going to be doing this in a small tub as I don't have any space to set a new tank...

Hope my corys/BN will be okay..


p.s this is a sort of does anyone else gree with this method thead

 

[Miss Wiggle]

has the tank that's crashed got fish in or were you fishless cycling?

if you've got another tank that's got mature media in then just take some of that media and put it in the filter of the tank that's crashed, should cycle it quickly. can remove up to 50% of the media from the cycled filter (assuming the tank is sensibly stocked) without causing any harm

 

[ShoC]

Nope no other matured tank.
Yes it has fish in there hence I need a solution..
it was cycled

 

[jwddboy]

Go to your lfs and ask for matured media.

"getting it cycled ASAP" is really a little easier said than done if you have fish in the other tank with no real method of removing all of the toxins.

In terms of 'migration' it shouldnt be too much of a problem. If there is bacteria it will multiply given that it has a source of ammonia. There will be a period of needing to do (id say twice weekly) water changes but the you can slowly bring these further apart.

Hope that helps

 

[ShoC]

just hope my LFS is half decent.. i'll give them a call..

 

[jwddboy]

good luck!

 

[ShoC]

Okay after much trying the local shop appears to have shut down

cancel the sponge idea..
would it work just to simply put some water with an air pump and some bio balls above the air pump???

 

[ALW]

Is there no other LFS near you

 

[ShoC]

Sadly nope.. only Pets at home which wont give anything away...

so as to my question...

if I get a bottle and fill it with substrate over the top of my Airpump will this work??
or will the surface area be to small?

 

[jwddboy]

Why dont you go to Wildwoods? thats what... a 40min drive?

(as to your question I have never done it but i'd guess it would harbour less bacteria than other methods)

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i'm confused, why to make another filter to get that cycled? it won't cycle any quicker than your existing filter will unless you do something to assist it.

why not try and get some mature media from someone on the forum, there's a list of members willing to donate some

 

[ShoC]

I cant get to wildwoods I don't drive......

Well because Im doing Changes constantly to my water to keep ammonia Low,
as if I do it in another tank... I can have a higher level of ammonia so there is more to go around....

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i'd just worry about one tank personally, having 1 tank cycling with fish and another fishless cycling is gonna be a nightmare. fishless cycling can take a good few weeks as well, not like it'll just happen instantly, as an example waterdrop on this forum is still cycling after 73 days!!

 

[ShoC]

Thing is I once did a fish-in cycle (tried) but it never cycled even after 3 months!!!!!

and I finally had a cycled Tank had nitrates etc... (for a good ammount of time) now its stalled
and I allways dechlorinate before adding water and clean the filter in old tank water.. It's so frustrating.. my tank was cycled I stocked it then it stalled

 

[waterdrop]

i'd just worry about one tank personally, having 1 tank cycling with fish and another fishless cycling is gonna be a nightmare. fishless cycling can take a good few weeks as well, not like it'll just happen instantly, as an example waterdrop on this forum is still cycling after 73 days!!

o you would go and bring me into it...