New Tank, New Cycle?

[bally]

Hi



i know with new tank set ups you need to run a new cycle before introducing fish in. However i am buying an upgraded version of the tank i already own. The new tank like the old has an internal filter, which uses the same size filter materials as the old.



So question is i can just use the filter material from the old filter and forgo the cycle or will it still need to cycle regardless of the new or old filter material?


also i had sand in the tank and am thinking of moving back to gravel, i understand gravel helps in the cycle, is this correct



thanks in advance

 

[the_lock_man]

If you are moving all your fish from the old tank to the new tank, then just move all the filter media over as well, and top up the new filter with new media. So long as you do that at the same time as moving the fish, so the filter media stays wet and fed with fishy ammonia, then all will be well.

Assuming you then want to increase stock in the new (larger) tank, then do so slowly, as you would have done before.

I don't believe gravel makes any difference to a cycle, as the bacteria live in the filter. Unless it is an undergravel filter.

 

[Louiseness]

also i had sand in the tank and am thinking of moving back to gravel, i understand gravel helps in the cycle, is this correct

That's incorrect, your choice of substrate doesn't really have anything to do with your cycle unless you have an undergravel filter or biorb which it sounds like you don't. So choose whatever substrate you want

 

[bally]

ok, thank you for the help, i mmust have misunderstood about the substrate. I tried sand but just doens look very nice with all the poo

 

[Asteria]

ok, thank you for the help, i mmust have misunderstood about the substrate. I tried sand but just doens look very nice with all the poo

Invest in a 'hoover' and clean it up or just every once in a while, take the net or something and give a swirl on the bottom, causing all the poo to raise in the water, and hopeing the filter picks most up. If you swirl the water, do so gently, as not to startle the fish, they soon get used to it, mine had fun in the currents