Cycled In One Week!

[doktor doris]

hey all,

I have just cycled a tank in just one week!

A week ago I setup a new tank, filed it up, popped some fish in. Then went round my 4 other tanks and squeezed half the sponges of each into a bag, apart from the external eheim, from the eheim I scraped a load of scunge of the bottom, and popped that in the bag.

I poured all the gunk out of the bag into the weir.

I have been doing 15% water changes every day, until today.

I just tested with a liquid test kit and the results are 0,0, and 0!

I had no idea that using the seeding method could speed things up so much!

remarkable.

cheers

doris

 

[glolite]

Well done! If you add the right amount of used filter material to fish then it is indeed a ready cycled tank. Keep testing though in case you get a mini cycle, which shouldn't happen unless you neglect the weekly water changes or add too many fish.

Hey ho, another tank to look after. have fun

 

[doktor doris]

I knew it would speed things up a bit, but I never dreamed by how much.

My advice to people setting up a new tank is get some used media, whatever the cost and inconvienience involved, it's worth it

doris

 

[PDB-89]

( Total newbie question ) when you say media what do you mean? i will be setting up my new tank on the weekend my dad has a 125 tank in the living room witch hase been in there for about 2 years now. what do i need to do? to make my tank cycle quicker sorry

 

[doktor doris]

Open up your old man's filter.

Depending on it's type, it will contain pieces of filter of some kind.

Iam guessing in a 125l tank the filter has a stack of sponges inside, take those filters and wring them out into a bag, in which you have placed a little of your dad's tank water.

Then pour that gunk into your own filter.

By media I meant the things that do the filtering.

Any more questions please feel free to ask.

doris

 

[PDB-89]

yep full of spongey stuff just went down and checked thanks for your help! but as quick Q will that not put any bad stuff from my dads tank in to mine??

 

[doktor doris]

Well, if your dads tank has an outbreak of disease yes it will.

But I think it is worth the miniscule risk, BTW leave your dad some bacteria!
Just wring out half of the sponges, but thoroughly!

And make sure you get the water and squeezings into your filter ASAP, the bacteria will eventually die.

doris

 

[PDB-89]

thanks for your help ill post up how i get on