Cycling New Tank

[Northern biker]

I currently have a 68 litre Eheim tank with a small Eheim internal filter which uses a sponge as its media.
The tank is well established (2 years plus) and currently only has 4 platy's in it.

I am hoping to upgrade to a 200 litre tank in the near future which is a Fluval Roma 200 with a Fluval external filter. I was wondering about cycling the new tank making use of my exisiting filter to avoid doing a fishless cycle which I have never done before.

I assume the external filter will have some sort of loose media so I won't be able to put the sponge from the old filter in. If I ran the old internal filter alongside the external filter and used the gravel and rocks from the old tank would this have the effect of cycling the tank?

I might also be able to pinch some media from a neighbour's mature tank to help with the job but am not sure about this.

Any advice is appreciated



Northern Biker

 

[Colin_T]

set up the new tank with water, heater, etc and let it run for a few days. Then transfer the fish and filter across to it. The old filter will have enough bacteria in it to run the new tank with the current fish. When you add a few more fish the filter will develop more bacteria to break down the extra ammonia produced by them. Keep the new and old filters running for a month or so before removing the older smaller filter if you wish to. After that time both filters should have healthy colonies of good bacteria in them.

 

[rdd1952]

I agree with Colin. You can do that and basically the new tank will instantly be cycled for the 4 platies. Just add the new fish slowly, never more than doubling the existing load, i.e., add up to 4 fish to what you have, test ammonia and nitrite for a week or so to make sure they are at 0 and then add up to 8 fish, and so on.

 

[Northern biker]

I agree with Colin. You can do that and basically the new tank will instantly be cycled for the 4 platies. Just add the new fish slowly, never more than doubling the existing load, i.e., add up to 4 fish to what you have, test ammonia and nitrite for a week or so to make sure they are at 0 and then add up to 8 fish, and so on.

Thanks for the replies guys, now all I have to do is find the money for the new tank lol!