Got Another Tank. How Do I Cycle It With Media From My Other Tank?

[marieukxx]

I bought another tank for one male Betta today. I have my 60L all set up and cycled. How do I go about using the mature media from that one to cycle my new one please.

Thanks

 

[The chilly dipper]

I bought another tank for one male Betta today. I have my 60L all set up and cycled. How do I go about using the mature media from that one to cycle my new one please.

Thanks

hmm
old man
tizer
fluttermoth
standby

may have more on this, but it just a case of using filter sponges or gravel ect from a mature tank and putting it in your new 1

 

[Miles_hot]

As I understand it you take no more than 1/3 of the media from your cycled tank and stick it in the new filter - at the front end of the filtration path - replacing the media = maybe even swap it with the 1/3 from the old pump?

HTH

Miles

 

[marieukxx]

S I cut off a bit of the sponge in the filter I already have running?

 

[Tizer]

Link in my sig shows you how i did mine.

More info needed on your filters to help further.

Seeding a new tank straight away with a filter that has "just" cycled isnt really the best of ideas as you might find the old filter will have to play catchup for a few days/weeks, which means possible water tests and changes on both tanks.

Do you have the fish to put in it already or do you plan to use ammonia?

 

[marieukxx]

It hasn't even arrived yet as I just bought it online. I won't put any fish in until it's cycled. My tank has been running since the beginning of April and was cycled already as it was second hand and had been used for 6 months and was emptied and re filled straight away. The water tests were 0 for amonia nd nitrite from the start.

 

[minnnt]

LOL!!! I knew it wouldn't be very long

I would try and replace a full sponge rather than just adding a bit. This is how i have always done it and never experienced any problems with my newer tanks.

Good luck.

 

[maisy12345]

Hi Marie,where did you buy it from,as i`m loking for one?

 

[marieukxx]

Hi Marie,where did you buy it from,as i`m loking for one?

I only bought a small 21 litre it's just for a male Betta as I love the males. It's just a hexagon one. I thought you were after bigger maisy?

LOL!!! I knew it wouldn't be very long

I would try and replace a full sponge rather than just adding a bit. This is how i have always done it and never experienced any problems with my newer tanks.

Good luck.

It's only a small one but perfect for the male Betta I've always wanted. And it's gonna be classy this time, no pink.

 

[maisy12345]

Hi Marie,
yes i`m after a 3ft tank, but the width,has got to be 12 inch ,so looking at all suppliers at moment.
How many tanks have you got now does this new one make two?

 

[marieukxx]

Yeah two now. A 60 litre and this new 21 litre for the betta. That's all I can get at the mo I've wanted one for a male betta for ages so I'm really looking forward to gtting it all set up and getting him.

 

[StandbySetting]

If it were me I'd get as much mulm as I can out of the current filter, and seed the new filter with it, then fishless cycle as you normally would, it'll speed up the cycle quite considerably.

 

[marieukxx]

is mulm the stuff that gets all stuck to it? What do you don just squeeze it out all over the new filter sponge?

 

[StandbySetting]

Mulm is the brown film that accumulates on the filter media, scrape some off and give the sponges a squeeze over the new sponges as well as adding the stuff you scraped off.

 

[minnnt]

Another member on here setup a new tank by a similar method. He squeezed all the brown horribly yucky stuff out of his filter sponges, and let the new filter suck it up. He then pretty much added fish within a day or two. Possibly not the best way, or the correct way but he didn't have any loss of fish so maybe it's worth a go. I would recommend doing your usual tests to ensure the water conditions are correct, but this maybe a better way for you to go?