Does Volume Of Water Count When Cycling

[ColR1948]

I'll explain further my question.

I was thinking if you wanted to start off a cycle and get the water correct, instead of putting the filter in a tank would it work just the same in one of those plastic tubs you can get from the hardware?
I mean would it work in just the bare tub with no substrate just cycling the water with Ammonia added of course?
I was thinking you could then get the proper tank ready by landscaping and getting just how you wanted then once the cycle in the tub is complete just add the filter to the proper tank and let it run for a day or two.

 

[CezzaXV]

To a certain degree.

We measure ammonia in ppm, which is parts per million. For every million "parts" of the water, how many of them are ammonia.

However, the ml of ammonia you'd have to add to achieve 4ppm in say a 50L tub would be half as much as you'd have to add to achieve 4ppm in a 100L tub, even though they're both achieving the same measurement of 4ppm. You'd think the answer would be to add twice as much ammonia, but the bacteria can struggle to grow in concentrations higher than 4ppm.

I would say it depends on the difference in size between your tank and your tub. As long as there's not a mahoosive difference, I'd say you could do it that way, but I probably wouldn't recommend putting your full stock list in straight away after the cycle as we normally would say is safe to do.

 

[ColR1948]

I understand what you say it was just a thought, I have a few spare filters so I was thinking if I got it/them cycled when the time come to perhaps get another tank I would be almost if not ready to set it up.
I understand about adding stock as well I was thinking out aloud really and wondered if this idea might work.

Having said all that I already have 5 x tanks set up now so I would just add some of the media from those but the idea might be good for someone thinking of setting up who hasn't yet got their tank and it might be a slight shortcut.