Starting it up

[_]im]

Hi

I am about to start my 10 gallon tank today. I have an established 10 gallon already on the way and i've heard theres ways you can take objects from the established tank and set them into the new one and not have to worry about cycling? If so has anyone tried this and whats the best thing to use? I have an aquaclear mini on the old tank and the new one I have has an internal filter that is run thorugh the air pump, so i cant use filter media.

Any suggestions/advice on getting around the regular cycling?

Thanks!

 

[Crystal]

I may be wrong, but can't you do a filter media squeeze, or put it in pantyhose and have it in the tank? I know you can also use gravel from your established tank, and that will help.

*edited for my horrible spelling*

 

[babyfish]

Take the sponge from your established filter and rinse it in a small amount of tank water....pour this water over the media in your new filter. Add a couple of handfulls of gravel from your established tank and spread them over the base of the new one.

Add fish immidietly... but not too many so the filter can catch up naturally

 

[_]im]

what about a rock from my established tank??

and i dont have the same type of filter system, SO i can put a sponge from the new filter into the old filter, can i leave that like overnight and the new sponge will have picked up some of that bacteria? is that possible? I wish now i got another aquaclear mini, itd be easier, haha

Thanks for the help thus far!

 

[clutterydrawer]

If it was me, I would put some of the old filter media into the new filter. This is the msot effective way you can transfer bacteria. I know you said it's a different type of filter but maybe you could cut some bits up and swuish them in somehow? Only if it doesnt impede the working of the new filter though.

If you do this with filter media from a _fully_ mature tank, you should be able to start stocking your new tank straight away - but ONLY a couple of fish at a time.

 

[_]im]

Ok, i put another sponge into my established tanks filter and i'll leave that there overnight will that pick up the bacteria? Also I'm adding tap water and have treatment solution for it, how long do you wait before putting that solution in can you put the water in the tank?

 

[clutterydrawer]

would you be able to leave it there a bit longer? I'm not sure how logn it takes to pick up the bacteria but i think a few days to a week would be better. when i was preparing a sponge for my friend's new tank i left it in mine for a week

what kind of treatment is this? i.e. what does it do?

 

[_]im]

I can leave it I wont be getting fish for a week or so, But i'd liek to add water and have that bit set up since i bought a few plants today

Its a solution that gets rid of chlorine and chloramine...so it should be ok if im not mistaken?

 

[clutterydrawer]

How about you add the water, do all the planting and aquascaping etc, then add teh sponge (which has been maturing in the old tank) just before you set off to get fish?

The dechlorinator solution works instantly. have you not been using this previously?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi _]im

Once you have one aquarium going it's easy to start another because you have lots of beneficial bacteria. Here's a link to another thread I just posted on. In this case, the member is moving everything to another tank, but the same principles will apply to what you plan to do.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...=0&#entry477407

If you move half the bacteria to your new tank, and move half the fish, (more or less) the tank will settle down quickly. Then, you can add new fish to both of them or move them around however you like.

If you are using new gravel, simply place the old on the top of it and put some of the new into the old tank to replace what you have removed. The bacteria will spread and eventually coat the new as well.

Good luck. Please let us know how this turns out for you.

 

[_]im]

Yeah i have used it before its just that with regular water changes i let it set, i just never knew how fast it worked, well i got water in it and its set up for now, realized my seller sold me a broken heater though, but i managed to fix it with a clothes pin for now, haha till i can get a new heater....i''ll post a pic of it on my mini profile

 

[clutterydrawer]

Ah I see...I put it in then I stir it around for a couple of seconds to make sure it's spread out, then i put the water in the tank.

in what way is the heater broken? I wish I could fix heaters with clothes pins!

 

[_]im]

I managed to completely fix the heater now i gues just the knob on the top was broke so i made something to make the dial turn, haha

Today the water is really cloudy, no filter in there yet, any ideas why it would get cloudy like that?