Need Advise On New Tank

kyaw_leo

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Hi! Everybody, I just setup a new 55gallons tank cycling for 1 week, I currently running a marineland penguin 350 filter and a petco brand filter for up to 30gallons tank, I have a question to asks, will more filter boost up the time for cycling? Will extra filter media help? Cuz I was thinking to add more filter media into my marineland 350..
 
Hi

I've asked a MOD to move this post for you. It will be better in the "New to hobby" section :good:
 
Hi

I've asked a MOD to move this post for you. It will be better in the "New to hobby" section :good:
No, adding filtration will not speed up the cycling. Only time and a ammonia product for cycling or ammonia producing substances like fish food or raw fish bits introduced into the tank will help it cycle. What is mostly needed is patience. Since you are new to the hobby, patience is probably what you have the least of. But it is the most important. Something that some people do, is if they know another hobbyist with a well cycle healthy tank i.e. no diseases and all chemistry tests are excellent, is to obtain filter material from that person's filter and place in their own tank. Just how much this will speed up the process I do not know but, it is worthwhile to boost the beneficial bacteria. Karen Campbell
 
Welcome to the forum Kyaw Leo. Karen, you are on the money with that advice. A clone of an existing healthy filter is the only good way that I know of to significantly shorten a cycle on a new tank/filter combination. Moving filter media right into the new filter is the best bet but I have also laid a used filter cartridge against a new sponge filter where water would flow through the old cartridge and even that worked well. If there is no way to get the media to fit into the new filter, try cleaning the old filter in the new tank. That will give some of the right bacteria a chance to settle out in the new filter and start its population growing at a good initial level.
 
Hi and welcome, I agree also, I used mature media twice in my fishless cycle and I am on my last few days @ day42.

From what I have read on other peoples cycle diaries without the use of mature media it can be 60-70 days (don't mean to scare you)

Get some mature in there and good luck.

Paul.
 
Welcome to TFF Kyaw Leo,

I agree with Karen, OM47 and Paul above. Filter size has nothing to do with the speed with which the 2 species of bacteria will grow (called "cycling" for short) but finding a "mature media" donation from an existing filter can help.

There are two "preliminaries" to work on before you start your fishless cycle: verifying your filter media and finding the right test kit and ammonia. Your filter needs a combination of different media that can perform the biological and mechanical filtration functions. Sponges, ceramic rings, ceramic gravel and bioballs all do good but varied jobs of this. Other media, like carbon, zeolite and a few other things perform a "chemical" filtration function and are not needed under normal circumstances. Its good to address any media questions now, as you get started.

To cycle, you need a good water chemistry test kit. Many of us use and like the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It has had the least reports of problems among our beginning members. There are other liquid-reagent based test kits that will also work out if its difficult to for you to find one of these. Another preliminary is to begin the hunt for "pure household ammonia" with with to feed the bacteria. This is found in the "mop & broom" sections of stores usually and needs to not have dyes or fragrances added. When you shake it, it should not foam as that would indicate soaps were added. Instead it should just form some bubbles like water, which go away in 2 or 3 seconds.

Like Karen says above, patience is the thing that's usually hardest to find...

~~waterdrop~~
 
thank you so much for ur comment..i guess i will just have to be patience for it..
 

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