Fastest Way To Cycle A Tank

[Murphy]

Hi everyone!, what is the fastest way to cycle a tank?. The old way by adding bacteria and a few guppies, or just putting in the bacteria and ammonia, or any new ideas. I would love to hear everyone's opinion on this.

[Dave C]

Put in enough ammonia to register 5ppm on a test kit. Then add a live plant or two, in pots or loose and a media bag with gravel from a safe cycled tank with healthy fish. Then leave it alone, no w/c no add'l ammonia, just monitor the ammonia, then the nitrite and finally test for nitrate. I've had them register 0 nitrite and lots of nitrate in 14 days with this method.

[Carol_Roberts]

Run the filter in an exisiting (cycled) tank for two weeks.

[Richman]

Keep an extra filter running in your tanks. Just transfer the filter, and instant cycle. Then add a new filter back in the old tank. Presto, ready for next time.

[RyanH]

I try to keep a few extra Hydro-Sponges and aquaclears running on my tanks all the time then I don't have to screw around with cycling a tank. I just fill it add some conditioner and let it sit for a day or two to let the pH moderate and its ready to go.

[Brian-pdx]

If you don't have a current system to migrate filters from, look for BioSpira from Marineland. My broken record, but it' s only been out for a year or so, and word of mouth takes time. Refrigerated, expensive, hard to find. But! You can add all your fish right away! (for those of us who are NOT patient!)

[lesley]

Hi Murphy,

This has worked for me.

I have found that you are able to start a new tank off by squeezing out filter material from am existing tank into your new tank. Looks horrible but clears quickly and your new aquarium is up and running. Make sure that you get enough "gunk" to jump start your new aquarium.

If you don't have an already existing tank and are buying some discus, you could ask the seller to squeeze the filter
material into a plastic bag with aquarium water and take it with you. Don't leave lying around too long, as bacteria will die without oxygen. I did this with my first lot of discus and the tank was fine. I wouldn't do it now that I already have other tank/s at home because of the risk of infection, but this was starting off completely new and I figured that the fish would be immune to the bugs in their existing situation.

As was mentioned previously,I now always have an extra sponge or two in one of my tanks.

Make sure you test at least daily for the first week to make sure that your tank is behaving like a cycled tank should.

[Alan]

The fastest I've done it is get water from my 180g tank as I do a water change and fill the new tank (a 29g) to 80%. Then filled the rest with tap. Put the sponge filter (new) in and double-dosed it with Cycle for the first week. Oh, the fish went in the tank the same day I put in the water. ;D

[ronrca]

Wow Alan! Talk about taking chances with your fish!

Oh, the fish went in the tank the same day I put in the water.

A bio filter takes minimum 2 weeks to actually mature using established filter media (depending on the bio size of the existing tank). This is because the bacteria responsible for ammonia levels reproduce or divide 6-12 hours, bacteria that consume nitrites divide around 24 hours or so. This reproduction however takes place when food is present.

Bacteria usually does not live in the water but colonizes on surfaces preferably in places with a good flow of water (more food available). Places like inside the filter are excellant. Therefore just using water from an existing tank (unless you have a bacteria bloom in the existing tank) will not significantly impact the cycle.

Using products such as Cycle imo is more or less dirty water and can not be proven to actually work.

What kind of fish did you put in the tank btw?
Did you test for ammonia/nitrite levels?
HTH ;D

[RandalB]

My $0.02....

Don't cycle the tank. It will cycle itself over time. Light fish load and WC WC WC WC WC. I haven't cycled a tank in over a year. The filters eventually catch up and you're good to go.
JMHO,
RandalB

[ronrca]

That is true Randal and with any other type of fish I sometimes do it that way but not with my discus! ;D From my own experience, even then with lots of water changes, ammonia/nitrites build up causing distress.

[Rick_May]

I really hate the term "Cycle a tank"......Please, do we really think the glass is going to cycle? It’s led to a lot of confusion where people are waiting for their "Tank" to cycle. Your "Tank" will never cycle, your filter will. The fastest way to start using a new tank is to add a cycled filter. The fastest way to cycle a filter is to add it to running tank with a cycled filter or better yet always keep a tank with an extra filter running then just swap out one of the cycled filters for the new filter.

Ok, I'm getting off my soap box now.

[ronrca]

Now we are getting like really technical here! LOL! (Its like you actually dont fill up your car with gas as you commonly hear! You really fill the gas tank in your car!) ;D

I think that is it understood that when talking about cycling a tank, the tank itself made out of glass is not the item in question. I know that beginners may be confused about it at first but quickly understand what it means! When someone indicates that they are 'cycling their tank', it more or less indicates that they have their tank setup with water in it, filter running, heater, lights, fish or ammonia! :soapbox:

Btw, you dont really you were actually on a soap box? LOL!
JK! ;D

[Murphy]

Hi..... it's great to hear everyones thoughts on how you each deal with this. Unfortunately I dont have any tanks up and running at the moment so I dont have a seasoned filter to draw upon. However!, I do have a garden pond with Koi in it ( 5000gal) and wonder if it would help if I filled the tank with seasoned pond water. What do you think?.

[Nightowl]

I must agree w/ the use of Bio-spira as the fastest way to cycle a tank...I've used it 4 times. New tank, new water , new filter....discus went right in. One tank had slight nitrite the second day, but normally you wouldn't see nitrites on day 2. They were gone in a couple of days. Another tank was cloudy for 9 or 10 days but there was ZERO ammo. and nitrite readings
The extra sponges from other tanks work, and Lesley's method is probably the next best thing to Bio Spira. I'm not a big fan of the daily w/change while a tank is cycling, but that's just me. My own experience is it delays the cycling period..at least it seemed to, but I have no scientific proof either way.
Be bold...try the Bio Spira J.T.