Cycling 2 Tanks

[ponyo]

I'm thinking about starting up 2 new tanks, maybe a 3ft and a small shrimp tank and doing a fish-less cycle.
Can I cycle both filters in just 1 tank or do I need to cycle the filters in separate tanks?

 

[Mowbz]

I would get the 3ft cycled, then pinch a tiny amount of the media to put in another filter for the Shrimp.

However, Shirmp have such a tiny bioload that you could actually run it without, and just do water changes. Fish IN cycle. (No actual FISH though, you couldnt do the aforementioned if you plan to put fish in with them) If you setting up a shrimp on tank, its likely to be small? In which case a water change each day until the filter cycles would be pretty simple

Hope this helps.

 

[ponyo]

so for the shrimp tank I could set it up now and just use some filter media from my 60l tank that's already cycled?

Would taking filter media from my cycled 60l tank (that's already got fish in) affect how well the filter works and cause the ammonia to rise?

 

[Louiseness]

so for the shrimp tank I could set it up now and just use some filter media from my 60l tank that's already cycled?

Would taking filter media from my cycled 60l tank (that's already got fish in) affect how well the filter works and cause the ammonia to rise?

You could take some media from your 60L filter for your new 3ft filter too, that would work. only take up to 1/3 of the existing media, though. Obviously if you remove some, you need to replace it with new media, which will take a while to be colonised with bacteria again, but if you be cautious and test your water, you shouldn't have too many problems.

 

[Mowbz]

As above, you can take a third, but for a few shrimp you might not even need that. I wouldnt pack out the new filter, just half fill it.

Hopw many shrimp are your planning on, and what type?

 

[ponyo]

thanks for the help.
Not sure on which shrimp to get yet. I might be getting a 55l tank which would be large enough for a few shrimp and maybe a shoal of very small fish eventually.
I've got a few amano shrimps in my 60l tank so might go for something different in the shrimp tank.

 

[Mowbz]

That'll be a nice tank


Sorry, think i got the wrong end of the stick earlier. (was looking over lunch...)

If your 60 gal is cycled and mature (how long has it been running?) then you could very easily take a small enough amount of media to keep shrimp happy in a small tank, no problem here.

If your going to put fish in with the shrimp in the 55l, then you'll need a fair bit of media out of the 60.

Leads me on to;

What type of filter do you have on the 60l? If its an internal, a third really isn't a huge amount, if its an external, you'll have a fair bit no doubt.

And what filter are you putting in the new, internal or external? amounts of available media will vary...

 

[ponyo]

The 60l has been cycled for a few weeks, been running a few months. I've been doing a fish in cycle since I bought the fish before finding all the info on the forum.
I've had 0 readings for ammonia and nitrite and the nitrate has settled at maybe 20 for a week now so think it's cycled but I'm reluctant to take any filter media out in case it upsets the balance. I'm still checking levels daily.
It's an internal filter with sponge.

I've decided to start a fishless cycle on the smaller tank I want to use for shrimp since I've never done a fishless cycle so thought it would be a good practice for when I want to buy a 3ft tank.

If I had taken media out of the 60l tank for the shrimp tank I wouldn't have put fish in with the shrimp until I was sure that it had fully cycled.