How To Keep Tank Cycled Overnight?

[hanny93]

Right, I should be selling my complete tank stock tonight, at about 4pm, hoping she'll turn up, havent heard from her in a while!

But if she does turn up, what shall i do until tomorrow morning ish to keep the tank cycle, or will it be okay on its wn? I could stick a bit of food in tonight, there will be one cherry chrimp left so i dont want to go putting ammonia in or anything.

Poor thing's gonna feel like it's been sent to heaven! Gonna give the tank a good clean tonight aswell, should I do it tonight or leave it a couple of days until the filter's back to normal? And if I do that, what about when my new eheim turns up on monday morning?

Basically, how do i keep the tank cycled overnight? When should I do a proper rescape and gravel (well, sand) clean and give the filters a quick swish around? And how should I go about cycling my new filter?

 

[nigsy]

• If your tank established - the filter medium will not die overnight as long as the water flow is kept up.
• Give the tank a good clean tonight, remove the shrimp if possible, and do a complete rescape today/tonight.
• Clean your filter medium in the current tank water - Put some water in a bucket and 'swish' it around.
• The easiest way to cycle the new filter is to put as much of the current filter medium in the new filter as possible, and just keep a check on water stats for a few days. But there should be no need to cycle the tank for a new filter - unless, you are using 100% new filter medium
• Also you need to take into account the change in bio load from a tank full of fish to a solitary shrimp and back to a tankfull of different(?) fish.

 

[hanny93]

Yes it's established and has been for over a year

I can never find the silly shrimp, but I suppose it isnt that hard to take it out! I'm not changing loads round, just moving everything so i can get all the accumulated poo/waste etc that will be under the rocks and maybe move some of the rocks etc around, im pretty happy with the current plant setup.

I wont be using 100% new filter medium no, thats why i was asking, will it be okay if i just cut up the old sponges and pack them in along with the cirax thats been in there for about two weeks?

And yes I know about the bioload thats why i was asking will it still be fully cycled tomorrow afetrnoon ish when the fish will be going in? They will be different yes, but roughly the same size I think, I'm not altogether sure on what to get yet!

 

[Tizer]

Will be fine for 24 hours and longer. However, if you reduce the amount of filter media going back in then you reduce the size of the bacterial colony that will process the nasties. Common sense really. Just water test for the next week or two and see hwo you go, water changes might be in order for the filter to catch up.

 

[hanny93]

No i wont be reducing it, i meant cut up all the current filter media so i can just pack it all into the new eheim, and ive ordered new salifert tests so i'll be wanting to use them anyway

Thanks for all your help

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If it takes longer than that, you could add some fish food - the same amount as you would use when feeding the fish. This will give the bacs something to munch on while you sort out your new fish stocking.