Cycling

[r.w.girard]

I was thinking about starting up a new 5 gallon tank soon and I was wondering what they best way to start [and finish] the ammonia cycle. I am planning on buying a little "kit" which will come with Hagen Nutrafin "Cycle" but I was wondering if it would be better just to use ammonia. I am in no hurry to get the fish in, it is not that. I just don't know much about it, I suppose. It seems strange that it could "colonize" the tank with "beneficial bacteria" before there is anything of the bacteria to feed on. I want to make sure it is "right" before I put anything in.

In fact, I am now wondering ... I use it generally as an additive when I do water changes. Is that worth it? Any ideas?

Anyway, I am planning on putting old filter media from my established tank into the new tank's filter to help colonize [I just realized that "colonate" is not a word ... hm] the new tank. All well before I put in any fish. In which case, is any of it necessary?

So questions:
1. Is ammonia or Nutrafin "Cycle" better to cycle a 5 gallon tank ?
2. And with colonized filter media ?
... and ...
3. Should I use Nutrafin "Cycle" when doing routine water changes ?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

i think that all you need is ammonia, and colonized filter media. in fact, you dont need colonized filter media. the bacteria can and do start from scratch, as long as there's a supply of ammonia. but, you can't just have the bacteria, because without ammonia they'll starve.

 

[r.w.girard]

i think that all you need is ammonia, and colonized filter media. in fact, you dont need colonized filter media. the bacteria can and do start from scratch, as long as there's a supply of ammonia. but, you can't just have the bacteria, because without ammonia they'll starve.

What if I were to use water from my previous tank, from a water change - it would contain both bacteria, nutrients, and waste matter to feed the bacteria as it grows, no? Since it is only going to be a 5 gallon, it would fill up pretty quick. Or is reusing water not advisable in such a situation?

 

[Essjay]

The water from the other tank won't have any bacteria as they don't live free in the water. If you take some media from the other filter that will have plenty bacteria. Put it in the new filter then do a fishless cycle with ammonia. You should find it cycles much faster than without the old media. And much faster than using the "cycle"

 

[AstonN24vantage]

a handful of gravel from an established tank would work wonders.

 

[Gvilleguy]

I agree with other posts - skip the cycling in a bottle and go with ammonia and mature media transferred from the other filter. I am skeptical of gravel or water from the other tank. If the used gravel has been properly vac'd every week, I don't see how it would harbor much bacteria. But I could be wrong!

 

[waterdrop]

The gravel from a mature tank (especially a very mature tank of more than say 3 years) is better than nothing GVG, but not nearly as populated as the mature filter media (and both of course have much, much more than the tank water, wich is practically worthless for seeding.

Don't forget to not take more than 1/3 of the filter media from any filter that is running a tank with live occupants such as fish! You have to kind of think ahead and be fairly creative and careful to do a mature media transfer. First it's very helpful to have obtained pieces of replacement new media for both types of filters so that it will be easy to replace moved media areas (for loose media you just have extra supply whereas for sponges you cut them with scissors. It is ideal to try to position your mature media just before (and touching) the new filter media of the same type (mature sponge against new sponge etc.) in the water path inside the filter. That way bacteria can detach, travel a short path and then catch on a surface of the new media. It can be even more ideal to figure out some shape cuts that mate even more surface area, but it's probably better not to get too carried away with disturbing the mature media sponge. And ideally everything should re-fit such that it is firm but not squished (if it's sponge.)

A mature-media seeded filter should still be fishless cycled using all the normal methods and tricks that our members can provide here in the subforum. Often a good seeding can reduce your fishless cycle to a week but it's important not to assume that this will happen and still be prepared to "qualify" the filter by seeing that it can drop 5ppm ammonia to zero ppm ammonia and zero ppm nitrite within 12 hours of dosing the ammonia for a week, repeatedly.

~~waterdrop~~