New Tank, Using Old Filter Cartridge From And Established Tank

[Maegan]

Hello! I just got a 30 gallon cube oceanic tank and I need to do a fishless cycle. My father has a used cartridge that is he going to give me from his tank that is the same size. Should I swish the old cartridge in water and pour it over the gravel? Or just stick it in with the new filter cartridge? Do I still add ammonia every day? I was going to use the raw shrimp method. I also heard that using old media speeds up the process? How long does it usually take to stabilize? Thanks!

 

[The Taffy Apple]

1/ Well done for choosing the fishless cycle
2/ Get as much as you can from your dad, swish it around in OLD TANK WATER, then cram as much into your new filter as you can without causing the outlet flow to decrease significantly.
3/ Continue to add Ammonia each day (i can only presume you are using household Ammonia?) and continue to make notes of your water test readings.
4/ Adding a dead shrimp will give you the same results in time, but it is very difficult to measure how much Ammonia will be added to the tank, too much at this stage will proabably encourage the growth of a 'wrong' type of bacteria.
5/ Adding an old sponge to a new filter is probably the best way to get your new filter and tank started...just make sure you invest in a liquid bases test kit, read up on the beginners section on here (there is a great link in my signature below) and continue your fishless cycle..... good luck

Terry.

 

[Maegan]

Thanks for the info! Ive got my tanks set up and the piece of shrimp in there. My readings were this today ( i bought the whole tube test kit)

PH 7.6
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5.0ppm
Ammonia .25ppm

Those readings were pretty much after i filled my tank with tap water and added water conditioner. I am not using ammonia I am just using the shrimp. After adding the old filter in there I keep the shrimp in there still correct?

Why do you have to swish the old filter in old tank water? can't you just stick the whole thing in without swishing? My train of thought is that some of the bacteria would fall off while swishing.

Lastly, after adding the old filter in (i am getting it tomorrow) how long do I wait to test the water again after adding and how do I know when my tank is cycled?

Thanks so much for your help and sorry about all the questions!

 

[Maegan]

Ok so today I went to my dads and swished his filter in some old tank water and got some algea off the side of his tank and brought it home and poured it in the tank and in the filter. I took readings about 10 minutes after that and they read

pH 7.6
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Ammonia 0.25ppm


I don't know what to think of these readings. I guess I should wait a few days and see if they stay the same?

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Ok so today I went to my dads and swished his filter in some old tank water and got some algea off the side of his tank and brought it home and poured it in the tank and in the filter. I took readings about 10 minutes after that and they read

pH 7.6
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Ammonia 0.25ppm


I don't know what to think of these readings. I guess I should wait a few days and see if they stay the same?

Did you get any of the sponges or other 'media' from his filter into yours? The algae is no good, forget doing that in the future.
In very short terms (with much more, better explanations found in the Beginners Section on this forum),we grow 2 types of bacteria in our filters, one type which 'eat' the ammonia and another for 'eating' the NitrItes (both poisons) into a much less harmful chemical called NitrAtes. Using your daily water readings and test results (write them ALL down) you can tell when you have both types in there....therfore being ready for fish. But as i said, it really would be easier for you, and fishless cycles in general, to use liquid household Ammonia.

Terry.

Terry.