Cycling Question

[jrussuk]

Hi im halfway through fishless cycling my tank. the bacteria is eating up ammonia from 4pmm to 0 in around 12 hours but my nitrites are still through the roof. The question i need help with is im setting up another tank and want to use some of the gravel from my halfway though cycling tank to speed up the the new tank cycling.Is this possible and how do i do this or should i wait till my 1st tank is fully cycled before using the gravel from there into my new tank? sorry if this is confusing and i bet a lot of people out there are bored of cycling questions!!!!!!!

 

[Underwurlde]

Dunno if this is a good idea taking bacteria from the still cycling tank substrate.

But anyway, here's how to do it (copy & paste time):

Mulm is the best way to seed a tank & its filters.

Mulm is Nitrifying bacteria along with its carbon based food source, decayed plant material, fish waste detritus, invertebrates, diatoms, other algae, BGA etc. It is loaded with organic matter, bacteria and fungi, as well as a source of food for them. It can therefore be considered as active living thing and adds precisely what's missing from an established tank to a new one.

Deep Vacuum a substrate, let the water settle in the bucket, the dirt on the bottom? That's Mulm. Squeeze & swish your filters about in old tank water (above) - The dirt from the filter sponge is also Mulm.

Let the dirt settle in the bucket & slowly drain off the water, use the remaining Mulm to seed new filters / substrates.

Andy

 

[fry_lover]

Hi

well for starters, i dont see the point (sorry) of using stuff from a "half-way" cycled to tank to cycle a new tank??? It wont do anything beneficial in my opinion.

I have cycled loads of tanks, through fish and fishless, and gravel suspended in a net and shaken 3-4 times a day can help, but the gravel must be really mature and dirty in my experience

And as for your ammonia going from 4 to 0, thats the easy part i am afraid, it takes longer (sometimes much longer) for the bacteria to grow that consumes Nitrite (and therefore converts the nitrite to nitrate).

 

[jrussuk]

Many thanks for your repleys Dont i know it takes time for the nitrites to dissaper!!!!!! Im trying to be paitiant as possiblr

 

[mark.w.jones]

Many thanks for your repleys Dont i know it takes time for the nitrites to dissaper!!!!!! Im trying to be paitiant as possiblr

If I were you id concentrate on getting one tank fishless cycled and fully stocked for a week or two first. Once you get to this point you can then run your filter for you new tank alongside the one in your old tank for a week or so and then move it into your new one ready to stock. If this is not possible than you can take half the filter media / sponge etc. from your old tanks filter and use that in your new filter to kick start the bacterial growth.