Quickest You Have Ever Cycled A Tank, And How?

[Inchyally]

My parents wouldn't let me do the ammonia drip-fishless cycling method on my 55, (they said it would mess up the water...) so I decided to 'clone' my 20 on my 55. I got 3 Zebra Danios. I used a LOT of mature media from my 20 in the 55, about a pound of gravel, multiple decorations. It basically went like this. First day, no ammonia, second day, .25 ammonia, 3rd day, 0 ammonia, .25 nitrite, later that night 0 ammonia 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. I had to go somewhere for 4 days but when I came back, the stats were the same. I moved in 3 fish and tested the stats and they stayed at 0. I think I will use this method again because I had successfully cycled the tank... in a week!

What is the quickest you have ever cycled a tank?

 

[Jack Middleton]

I Fish-in cycled My Rio 125

I started on August the 29th with 7 Ember Tetra's, After 2 weeks I was starting to get worried that my cycle was stalled, I decided to sit it out for another week, and on the 21st day, I had a reading of nitrite. 4 Weeks Later and my nitrite is still dropping, it is nearly at 0 after 12 hours. So all in all, it has taken just over 7 weeks, pretty long eh?

 

[aly_starh]

i brought a second hand filter, and they were in the middle of there cycling aswell, at 4 weeks or so i think, so i put it in my tank and it only took 2 weeks. The sponge was kept in water so bacteria didn't die off.

 

[kelly528]

I cycle mine in a few days:

1) Introduce a few fish
2) Wait a few days until the water starts to cloud
3) Drop in some mature gravel, filter media, etc. This is essentially like dropping them into a tank full of food at this point, so the population skyrockets really fast.
4) Poof-- the tank is pretty much crystal in about half a day!

My secret is to wait until there is tons of ammonia for the bacteria to eat.


EDIT: On a second note, this does not make the tank 'mature', it simply establishes the nitrifying bacteria. Remember, a type of bacteria can only establish a population once there is food for them to eat.

 

[bitteraspects]

I clone tanks instantly, though I usually wait 24-72 hours to add fish, only because that's how long it takes me to find the fish I want for the tank.

 

[matchstickman47]

usualy when i clon i run the two filters in one tank... then i put one in the other tank ... imediatly cycled after one week of being in anoter tank with old media n plenty of bacteria top ups

 

[OldMan47]

Add water, filter, heater and fish. Wash a dirty filter in the tank water. Measure the next day and no ammonia or nitrites. Do a good water change and gravel vac a few days later to clean up the mess I made of the tank by cleaning a filter in it. I have done this on more than one occasion when I brought home fish from a "too good to pass up" buy at an auction.

 

[kribensis12]

Instantly, I just put some used media into the new filter. BAM. It's cycled.

 

[Jonty]

I cycle mine in a few days:

1) Introduce a few fish
2) Wait a few days until the water starts to cloud
3) Drop in some mature gravel, filter media, etc. This is essentially like dropping them into a tank full of food at this point, so the population skyrockets really fast.
4) Poof-- the tank is pretty much crystal in about half a day!

My secret is to wait until there is tons of ammonia for the bacteria to eat.


EDIT: On a second note, this does not make the tank 'mature', it simply establishes the nitrifying bacteria. Remember, a type of bacteria can only establish a population once there is food for them to eat.

So you leave the fish to live in the ammonia for 3 days?

 

[kribensis12]

I cycle mine in a few days:

1) Introduce a few fish
2) Wait a few days until the water starts to cloud
3) Drop in some mature gravel, filter media, etc. This is essentially like dropping them into a tank full of food at this point, so the population skyrockets really fast.
4) Poof-- the tank is pretty much crystal in about half a day!

My secret is to wait until there is tons of ammonia for the bacteria to eat.


EDIT: On a second note, this does not make the tank 'mature', it simply establishes the nitrifying bacteria. Remember, a type of bacteria can only establish a population once there is food for them to eat.

This is a very poor method. Why make the fish suffer? Why not put the gravel in and then put the fish in? A few hours wait for the fish to produce the ammonia won't kill the bacteria. They can last over a day with out ammonia. Also, if you are certain that your idea is completely solid, why not just put food waste in the tank and not fish. The food will break down into ammonia. Also, there are two different types of bacteria needed for a cycled tank. The first would be the bacteria that convert ammonia to less harmful nitrIte ( which is still very deadly), and then another bacteria turns the nitrIte into NitrAte.

 

[snowflake311]

I seed the tank. Add some mature filter media to the new filter and its good to go. The bacteria grows fast and soon all you media is covered in it.

 

[bitteraspects]

unless you are using 100% matured media, it is not instant cycle. but it will be quite a bit faster than starting a whole new filter.
using "some" amture media in your filter, can produce a full cycle in a weeks time under the right conditions (proper temp, PH, dechlor, etc)

 

[Tolak]

Instantly, I just put some used media into the new filter. BAM. It's cycled.

This is known as cloning, produces an instantly cycled tank. I generally don't remove more than 1/3 of the mature media, and stock the new tank at 1/2 the stocking of the donor tank, give or take. It helps to fast the donor tank for 24 hours before removing the media, and feed lightly for the next week. The same applies to the newly set up tank.

 

[bitteraspects]

Instantly, I just put some used media into the new filter. BAM. It's cycled.

This is known as cloning, produces an instantly cycled tank. I generally don't remove more than 1/3 of the mature media, and stock the new tank at 1/2 the stocking of the donor tank, give or take. It helps to fast the donor tank for 24 hours before removing the media, and feed lightly for the next week. The same applies to the newly set up tank.

actually its called "seeding". if you only use a portion of established media, and a portion of new media, you are seeding the new media in the filter.
if you use ALL established media in a new filter, that is "cloning"
the difference between seeding and cloning is the amount of established media used, and in turn, how long it takes to cycle. a new filter stocked will 100% established media, will produce an instantly cycled tank (provided you add your fish right away, so they are producing the ammonia needed to keep the bacteria going), while a "seeded" filter, will still need some time to establish in the new media portion of the filter.

 

[Tolak]

Ok, imaginary tank time. A few things; the filter and media do not know what tank they are running on, and a mature colony of nitrifying bacteria is capable of doubling in 24 hours.

You have a mature 20 gallon tank, with 10 guppys. The media is capable of providing the biological filtration for 10 guppys. Half the media will provide the biological filtration for 5 guppys. You get a second tank, regardless of size, and move half the media, and 5 guppys. Instant cycled tank.

Now, capable of doubling in 24 hours doesn't mean it will. Erring on the side of caution, it is wise not to take out more than 1/3 of the media. Reduced feeding lowers the bio load. So, back to our imaginary tank, you take out 1/3 of the media, put it in a new filter, on a new tank, and easily add a trio of guppys, instant cycle. Knowing the nitrifying bacteria will grow in short order, you could add 4 guppys. Both of these are cloning.

This is where a hob filter such as an Aqua Clear, or canister filters with media that can be switched around shine. Run two sponges in the AC after you ditch the carbon, and you have cycled media for another tank, just by removing one of the sponges. The bio media in canisters is great for this. This is another area where hob filters with cartridges can be a hindrance to fishkeeping.

This is really no different than keeping spare filters running on a tank, except you are removing the media only. The media doesn't know what filter it is running in.