Cycling Quicker

[luque]

if i were to put some of my old tanks water plus other water and run it through a new filter would it cycle quicker?

 

[Gremily]

You'd be much better off putting some filter media from the established filter into the cycling one.
How long have you been cycling and with which method?

 

[luque]

i havent started yet was just wondering for when i do.

 

[Gremily]

Apologies, I assumed you were currently cycling a tank.
Most of the bacteria that processes ammonia and nitrite will live in the filter media, I don't think you will find very much in the water. There might be some on gravel, particularly if you have an under gravel filter (although these don't seem to be very common).
Last week I emptied the water and gravel from a tank and replaced all the water without any gravel and the tank is still processing ammonia as before.
So when cycling a new tank, try and and add mature filter media from the beginning, this should speed up the cycle quite a bit. Keep in mind that the media should be always be kept wet and should be moved as quickly as possible.
Hope that helps!

 

[luque]

Hope that helps!

it does
thank you

 

[benniebru]

hey dude i might be able to help since i am goin through this myself.

i swapped tanks on saturday from a 30 gal to 60 gal, since me new filter has 2 bio wheels instead of 1 i used one new bio wheel and the old one from my 30 gal (dont let it dry out)

checked my water on sunday my ammonia was 2 and my nitrites were around 1

checked my water 2 min ago ammonia is .25 and nitrites are goin up so i am experiencing the "mini cycle"
judging by the way things are going my tank should be good by the weekend

i wouldent worry so much about using the gravel in ur old tank unless it had a under gravel filter not saying that wouldent work just never did that
use the old media from ur old tank and it should only take around a week to cycle

hope this helps