Cycling

[goldencomet]

I'm about to start cycling my tank soon and was wondering can i put bio balls and gravel from an established tank in a suspended net in the water along with the fish food

 

[rockerBOO]

Though i am not sure how well this actually does work, but in theory it should help build up the bacteria, but will then need to be established in the filter, or other parts of the tank for it to work out well.

NutraFin Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement

 

[Irf]

This might help, but I believe the general thinking is that the bacteria you need lives in the filter material. Therefore rather than the "bio balls" and gravel, you'd do better to transfer some filter sponge from an established tank.

Irf.

 

[xoedusk]

I think putting the aformentioned items in the filter would do better than simply floating them in the tank. I would expect the bacteria to 'spread' out to the more permanent filter material there.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yes it would speed thingsd up to an extent.... putting them in the filter would speed it up even more

however if you know someone with an established tank there's an even better way. buy your new filter, run it on they're tank for a fortnight, then put it on yours and it'll be completely cycled and ready for you to stock