Efficient Fishless Cycling

[DaveP1991]

I've just set up a 64L tank and have begun cycling the tank. 
 
I've fully treated the tank with some Tap-Safe, got the filer running and turned the heater up as far as it will go. As to the heat I've read the bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle will grow best at higher (30+) temperatures. The tank came with a bottle of filter-start so I've begun treating the tank with that as well. I've also added some tank water from my mature (and disease free) tank with the hope of giving the cultures a kick start As to providing the initial, waste, shall we say, I've chucked in a few handfuls of flake food and algae pellets.
 
Is that a good place to start and now I just sit back and wait till I get my 0 and 0 test results or is there anything else I can do to make it more efficient or quicker?
 
 
 

 

[DaveP1991]

Well I seem to have perfected the trick to cycling a tank so much I should sell my secret...
 
Although I think that's more likely blind optimism. This tank has now been cycling for two days and like I said above the ammonia source has been a gratuitous amount of fish food. I've done a water test today and my results have been;
 
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrites - a purple somewhere between 2 and 5ppm
Nitrates - 20/40ppm
 
Now if the tank has been set up for a few weeks I would believe it, ammonia heading down, a nitrite spike and some nitrates but after two days those results seem silly. 
 
Or is it possible the tank really is cycling that fast?  

 

[This Old Spouse]

Hmm. Keep it going for a few days while taking readings and let us know!

 

[Gvilleguy]

And while you're waiting, you could test your tap water source to see if it has any levels of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

 

[DaveP1991]

Right, I've tested two water sources. Firstly the tank that some mature donor water was taken...
 
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrites - 0.25ppm
Nitrates - 20ppm
 
That one is due a water change and filter clean. And tap water...
 
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrites - 0ppm
Nitrates - 10ppm
 
So while ammonia is seemingly level across the playing field neither the other tank or tap water are showing the huge nitrite spike. So maybe it is cycling... 

 

[CezzaXV]

I was of the impression that 28-29C was the best temperature for cycling, and any more than that will inhibit bacterial growth.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Agree with Cezza.  28C / 84F is the range to grow the bacteria that we want.

 

[DaveP1991]

Thermometer is currently reading 29 so I guess that needs no adjustment. I'm just confused by these test results. If its not cycling is there somewhere these nitrites could have come from?

 

[The Taffy Apple]

If you have access to another, more mature tank then move some media across from one filter to the new one. The vast majority of beneficial bacteria live in the filter and media, not in the water.
 
Terry.

 

[DaveP1991]

I did think about that but they are two totally different filters. One is a small filter with a single sponge while the other new one has two different sponges and those ceramic balls.
 
This may sound silly but if I just put some of the mature media into the tank rather than into the filter will that help with starting the culture or does it need to be in the filter?

 

[CezzaXV]

Ammonia and nitrite from your donor tank are in a bad way and you should do a water change on it as a matter of priority. You won;t be able to get rid of the ammonia if it's in your tap water too, but you can certainly lose that nitrite.

It's probably caused by the removal of the media, but should fix itself soon enough,

 

[DaveP1991]

Like I said that tank is due a water change so will get one ASAP anyway. The media hasn't been removed.
 
At the moment I'm more questioning the test results of the cycling tank. 

 

[This Old Spouse]

I did think about that but they are two totally different filters. One is a small filter with a single sponge while the other new one has two different sponges and those ceramic balls.
 
This may sound silly but if I just put some of the mature media into the tank rather than into the filter will that help with starting the culture or does it need to be in the filter?

Nope, it really won't help cycle the filter. It needs to be in the filter housing. 

 

[DaveP1991]

Well I've done another test today;
 
Ammonia - 0.50ppm
Nitrite - Off the scale purple
Nitrate - 20ppm
 
I assume the raise in Ammonia is due to the food in there rotting down some more but the nitrite has climbed more since yesterday. I assume this is cycling now?

 

[snazy]

When I did fishless cycles with no mature media, the ammonia was going down on the 2nd-3rd day from the first dose so it's normall for a cycle to kick in as fast as this but it takes time to actually process these fast enough for fish to be in there.
Throwing mature media in the tank won't be as efficient as putting it in the filter because the bacteria converts ammonia and nitrItes that immediately pass next and through the media they've settled in, and a floating sponge/media in the tank will barely have anything going through it, so it reduces the size of available surfaces for the bacteria to live. But the bacteria is mobile, so it will crawl out and go to areas with more supply, but that will make the process slower. However, it should still be beneficial to put some in the tank. Then avoid a water change for a good few days(you shouldn't need one while cycling) until the swimming bacteria settles somewhere else.