Setting Up A Breeder Tank Hopefully- Does It Need Cycling?

[StaniFish]

I am sure this has been answered before, but i have searched to find a similar thread but they don't answer what i want to know. Hopefully, if i'm a good boy santa will bring me a small breeding/hospital tank (only a goldfish tank about 2 gallons probably), i am going to put an aerator in it and i will do water changes often, although i am unsure whether i do have to cycle it- i heard that you can just test the water to see if it is ok then put fish in it, is this correct?

 

[Sharpie]

I am sure this has been answered before, but i have searched to find a similar thread but they don't answer what i want to know. Hopefully, if i'm a good boy santa will bring me a small breeding/hospital tank (only a goldfish tank about 2 gallons probably), i am going to put an aerator in it and i will do water changes often, although i am unsure whether i do have to cycle it- i heard that you can just test the water to see if it is ok then put fish in it, is this correct?

I'm no expert but I would Imagen you would have a few losses if you put fish in an unicycled tank. without an established bio filter you're ammonia is going to jump a few days after you put fish in there, especially in such a small tank. This might not only kill some fish but also stunt the growth of the ones that survive. This could be extremely harmful if you're trying to breed them. Like I said I'm no expert, just a newbie but thats the information I got from my research. You could try a fish less cycle but I wouldn't risk just dumping fish in there. Good luck

 

[Ian H]

if its just fry and no adults then i wouldnt cycle it since i don't think the fry could create enough waste to affect the tank. However i would make sure all un eaten food was cleaned up

 

[Mikaila31]

If you have a larger already cycled tank, then you don't have to go through the whole cycling process again. All you do is get some new fish or transfer some of your old fish to the new uncycled tank, at the same time transfer some mature filter media from one of your other tanks to the new tank as well. Then you have a instant cycle, but only remove 1/3 max of the filter material from your established tank.

Also when you remove filter media from a tank give it a week before you add anymore fish or remove anymore filter material.