Cycling With Eheim Pro External 2324

[Christi_22]

Hi Guys

I am quite new to fish keeping (since December 2008). I have well and truly been bitten by the bug tho lol. It all started with a 20 Gallon Hex that I bought through local classified with under gravel filter and a few fish (including a 10" Pleco that I have since re-homed)! Since then I have successfully cycled a 5 Gallon for Aslan my Betta. I now am in the process of setting up a 38 Gallon 3 FT tank with External Eheim 2324 professional filter. (currently only contains substrate and conditioned water). All of the fish from the 20 Gall will be transferred to the 38 Gallon once cycled.

What I would like some advice on is:

Could I run the Eheim in the 20 Gallon Hex (turning off the under gravel filter) in order to cycle at a faster rate? bearing in mind that this tank has been running for years (before I bought it) and is fully mature. I want to get rid of the under gravel filter and set up the 20 Gallon with an internal filter eventually.

My main concern is that the Eheim might be too powerful for such a small tank?? There are some Guppies and fry in there as well as a BN Plec, Cardinal Tetras, and 2 Gold Gourami's.

Hope someone can answer my maybe stupid questions. (although hopefully not that stupid).

Thanks
C

 

[rabbut]

Unfortunately, you cannot just turn off the UGF in the 20G, as that would basically leave you with a new tank and you would have to deal with "New Tank Symdrome" while the Eheim cycled. This would be no quicker than cycling it with liquid ammonia in the 38g, but would put your fish in the 20g at risk

I'd probibly cycle a fresh with the Eheim, then once it's going in the new tank, and dropping 5ppm of Ammonia to zero Ammonia and Nitrite, transfer your fish over and strip the 20G. You need to remove the filter plate anyway, or all the rotting crud benieth the plate will caurse you issues Once the 20G is stripped, the plate removed and it re-filled, you can move upto 1/3 of the media in the Eheim across into the "new" 20g set-up to seed the internal, before adding upto 1/3 of the number of fish in the 38g into the 20g, that are the same size or smaller, or you can then complete a fishless cycle with liquid ammonia with the "seeded" internal before stocking it

HTH
Rabbut

 

[Christi_22]

Cheers Rabbut

Makes perfect sense!! So, my second fishless cycle is to commence !!

Patience patience lol