Is This Possible

[boabmac63]

I dont have a filter for 1 of my tanks can i fil the tank uP with water and still do a fishless cycle till i get a filter in avout 2weeks

 

[Cazgar]

No, because it's the filter you're cycling, not the water.

 

[boabmac63]

No, because it's the filter you're cycling, not the water.

Ye but if i add ammonia good bacteria can still grow and then wen i add my filter it wont take as long for that to cycle

 

[fluttermoth]

No, not really. The bacteria need a flow of water and ammonia across the place where they're living. Without a filter, you can't achieve that.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

boabmac you can certainly do what you're saying but it would help to create some flow, and to distribute oxygen, if you have a bubble stone or powerhead you can run.

The truth is that you can fill a tank with dechlorinated water and do nothing else and just by the natural decay of the flora and fauna the tank will cycle. It won't hold much bioload but it will cycle.

Obviously the more surface area you have, such as gravel and ornaments the more bacteria you'll colonise (drop any spare media you may have in there too).

However you'll also encourage algae, so you'll need to completely black out the tank with black plastic or something similar. No light whatsoever.

It'll give you a good head start, so I would do it.

Remember to whack the heater temperature up to 30C though, assuming you have one, it'll help things along. And make sure the pH is at about 8 by dosing with bicarb if necessary (I think I explained that to you in another post).

 

[boabmac63]

boabmac you can certainly do what you're saying but it would help to create some flow, and to distribute oxygen, if you have a bubble stone or powerhead you can run.

The truth is that you can fill a tank with dechlorinated water and do nothing else and just by the natural decay of the flora and fauna the tank will cycle. It won't hold much bioload but it will cycle.

Obviously the more surface area you have, such as gravel and ornaments the more bacteria you'll colonise (drop any spare media you may have in there too).

However you'll also encourage algae, so you'll need to completely black out the tank with black plastic or something similar. No light whatsoever.

It'll give you a good head start, so I would do it.

Remember to whack the heater temperature up to 30C though, assuming you have one, it'll help things along. And make sure the pH is at about 8 by dosing with bicarb if necessary (I think I explained that to you in another post).

Cheers thats all i wanted to know if it could give me a headstart

boabmac you can certainly do what you're saying but it would help to create some flow, and to distribute oxygen, if you have a bubble stone or powerhead you can run.

The truth is that you can fill a tank with dechlorinated water and do nothing else and just by the natural decay of the flora and fauna the tank will cycle. It won't hold much bioload but it will cycle.

Obviously the more surface area you have, such as gravel and ornaments the more bacteria you'll colonise (drop any spare media you may have in there too).

However you'll also encourage algae, so you'll need to completely black out the tank with black plastic or something similar. No light whatsoever.

It'll give you a good head start, so I would do it.

Remember to whack the heater temperature up to 30C though, assuming you have one, it'll help things along. And make sure the pH is at about 8 by dosing with bicarb if necessary (I think I explained that to you in another post).

Cheers thats all i wanted to know if it could give me a headstart

Also wat u mean with the bicarb i camt remember any1 posting sumthing about that on one of my other posts

 

[CezzaXV]

Technically you can just put some water in the tank with ammonia in it. You'll achieve little to nothing, but you can do it. If you have an air pump or anything at all that will keep the water moving, I'd advise putting it in there until you get your filter.

It'll be important to properly black out the tank, as without much water movement and the ammonia in there you may well get large amounts of algae.

Bicarb can be used to get the pH of the water up - it needs to be around 8 for cycling purposes.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Technically you can just put some water in the tank with ammonia in it. You'll achieve little to nothing, but you can do it.

Not true Cezza. See my post, number 5 I think.