Cycling Problems.

[Underwurlde]

Tannins are a very mild disinfectant (is that the right word?) and yes, tannins are not seen as 'bad', only discolour the water - some love the natural look they give, others not so. If you dont like the brown water, boil the wood & then soak it for a number of weeks until the water is clear (use dechlor'd water of course).

I heard you can 'clone' tanks? How do you do that since I already have a 65l set up?

Now you're talking, is the other tank cycled?

Andy

BRB, gotta take dog for 'walkies'!

 

[Luketendo]

If you call over 2 years cycled, then yes .

Yes it is cycled, and mature.

 

[Luketendo]

So... You said about cloning?

 

[Underwurlde]

Sorry I cut & left last night, went 'walkies' & the wife nabbed the PC for the rest of the evening so I ended up watching Panic Room.

So, cloning. Basically you take a chunk of the media from your cycled tank's filter and add it to (but not replace) your un-cycled filter media.

In other words:

(Rule #1: Don't remove more than 40% of the cycled media from the cycled tank).

Take a 40% sized cunk of un-cycled media out of the un-cycled tank.
Take same sized chunk of cycled media out of the cycled tank (bearing in mind Rule#1!)
Put the cycled media in un-cycled tank filter.
Put the un-cycled media in the cycled tank filter.

Note 1: Don't worry about taking such a large sized chunk of media from the cycled tank filter - it will recover in about 24hrs.
Note 2: Place the cycled media 'up stream' from the un-cycled media - place the un-cycled media 'down stream' from the cycled media (when in the filter).
Note 3: Don't take too long to swap the media over (1/2 hr max out of filter / filter off, but always kept in 'tank' water).

Continue to 'cycle' your un-cycled tank as before, but instead of months to cycle, it should now only take a couple of days! Once done, if the filter media is of a different type and size, swap them back into the orignal filters.

Andy

 

[Luketendo]

It's kind've hard to do with a cycled fluval 104 to a stingray 10 but I did as good as I could, I put pre filter where the zeocard cartridges are meant to go.

 

[pauly]

When you say upstream / downstream, in an uncycled tank should the water hit the cycled media first or last in the filter?

Mine's been in for 7 days now, and still no sign of Ammonia dropping.

Paul.

 

[Luketendo]

Ok tonight i'm going to try to swap the media again but this time keep it in water as much as possible, previously i'd left the cycled media on my cabient for no more than a minute but maybe it's enough time for the bacteria to die?

 

[GRJ]

I always keep spare media in my fluval 205 external filter, in the spare basket and then use some of it to cycle new tanks. I just stick a chunk of it into the new filter along with the new media and have had no problems. Its always good to keep some spare media sponge in a cycled tank, just in case. GRJ

 

[Luketendo]

I couldn't change the sponge because stingray pads are weird I put ceramic rings in the stingray instead.

 

[Underwurlde]

OK, if you have different types of media, don't swap if really awkward.

Alternative #1:
Try taking a chunk of uncycled media and try & get it in with the other media (downstream from it). Wait a day or so & put it back into the uncycled tank.

Alternative #2: Mulm, mulm, beautiful mulm
Seeding filters with 'mulm'
Deep Vacuum a substrate, then take your filter and clean that in the same old tank water you vac'd out (squish & squeeze out all the crud in there if it is a sponge type media), let the water settle in the bucket, the dirt on the bottom? That's Mulm. The dirt in the filter sponge is Mulm. This is the wet "dirt" left on the bottom of a water change bucket after vacuuming the gravel. You wait about 2-5 minutes and pour off the clear water, save the wet soupy stuff left over - pour that over your new filter media - again squish & squeeze it in.


@pauly

When you say upstream / downstream, in an uncycled tank should the water hit the cycled media first or last in the filter?

The water should hit the cycled media first (i.e. it is placed upstream from the un-cycled media) - the idea being that bacteria from the cycled media is 'washed over' the uncycled media.

 

[Luketendo]

I don't think it's working, how about I stick my stingray in my cycled tank with the external to transfer the bacteria? Then it'll be cycled as soon as the bacteria are transferred.

How long do the bacteria take to transfer over?

 

[Underwurlde]

days...

wait a couple more. HOPEFULLY you'll get there!

Boring, innit?

 

[Luketendo]

days...

wait a couple more. HOPEFULLY you'll get there!

Boring, innit?

Well I was going by how you said a couple of days. Couple = 2, so my ammonia should've completely gone by now in that front. No ammonia has gone yet and it's been a day.

 

[Luketendo]

Still no change.

 

[Underwurlde]

Grrrrrrr This is Weird!

So far then:
You've tried to cycle your tank in the 'normal' way. 1.5 weeks later & nowt! No Ammonia is being processed.
So then you seeded / cloned it with your other tank, and 2 days later still nowt.
The pH is fine, the temp is fine, the ammonia levels are not too high, the filter is on and the tap water dechlorinated.

Things SHOULD be progressing then and they are not....

So.... wait (I know, I know) another couple of days. IF things are STILL not happening, then I'd be starting to think that there is something in that tank or has gotten into the water to kill the bacteria.

I feel for you mate - it took me a while to cycle my tank and it can be a very frustrating process.

Andy