best way to cycle new tank.

[dean_alicia]

hey guys,
im getting a new 6x2x2 tank in a week or so. i will be running a 4foot sump tank. what is the best/easiest way to ge this tank cycled eady for my discus that are in a 4 footer at the moment.
exciting times ahead........

[Mr Wild]

Use 1/2 the water from your 4 footer and the seeded filters as you are not increasing the bioload ATM this will give you a cycled tank... Its just like doing a 50% wc.

[Hollowman]

Is your sump already cycled?

If not, there are several ways to cycle the sump. Because I am in the UK I can freely buy pure ammonia and add this to the sump to start and maintain the cycle, takes about 4-5 weeks to fully mature.
Alternatively, many people in your country like to use a dead fish or shrimp to be the source of ammonia to feed the cycle. The only trouble I see with this is the smell.

Or, you can use already mature filter media and let it try to colonise within the sunp, you will still need to feed it though so ammonia or rotting substance needs to be used.

hth

H

[dean_alicia]

no sump is not cycled.. its all new.
i have 2 four foot tanks running at the moment.
if i take all the water out of one tank(guppie tank) and fill my sump with that and then the new tank with rain water will this help the cycle a bit faster. i was also thinking of hooking up the external filter from the empty 4 footer to help also..

[Hollowman]

The body of water will not cycle itself, because there is nothing in it, you need to feed it with an ammonia source like I suggested. In my sump I only recirculated the water around itself, no other tanks attached.

[dean_alicia]

so when u connected your sump to a new tank with new water in it was it ok to go then??

[TW]

Here is a source of ammonia in Australia
http://www.fishlesscycle.com/

[Hollowman]

so when u connected your sump to a new tank with new water in it was it ok to go then??

Yes,

The ammonia that you add is the food for nitrifying bacteria. So the ammonia (a substitute for fish poo/waste/uneaten food etc) is converted to NitrIte, which is then changed by the bacteria to NitrAtes.

When I added ammonia to my sump I began adding to 4ppm (tested using liquid test kits) after about a week I was showing NitrItes and then I got NitrAtes. At the end of the cycle about 4-5 weeks, I was adding the same amount ot ammonia, which after 24 hours was not traceable by the test kit. All I was showing was nitrAtes of around 20-25ppm.

So, I hooked the sump up to my tanks added my fish and away I went.

hth

Steve

[dean_alicia]

thanks for all your info steve.. much appreciated..
i think i will try the you have done it... having a 4 foot guppy cycled tank will help. i plane on using all the water from that tank.

[Hollowman]

Dean, renember it is the filter media that carries the good nitrifying bacteria, not the water. I do not see a problem in utilising the media in the guppy filter to aid the cycle of the new system. Make sure you have a good liquid test kit set to check each day when cycling.

Good luck