Restarting My Discus Tank

[lindad5038]

I have a question about getting this tank cycled and how long. I have put an extra filter and media into one of my other tanks with healthy fish in it. How long is it going to take to get it ready to start over?---Thanks in advance

[lindad5038]

Doesn't anyone want to address my question?

[Pardal]

Linda
Your tank won't be cycle until your ammonia and nitrites are reading 0 and you have a percentage of nitrates about 10ppm or so. this could take up to a month or so depend if you add bacteria to speed the process. if you add fish from the get go it is imperative to do WC daily as your fish might died during the original spike of ammonia when your tank start to cycle. I recommend to read as much as you can about cycle tanks , but a this point you need to keep going with daily water changes as large as possible as you can.
I am pretty sure many will chime in usually is like that once a person answer every one come rushing in. but remember I was the first one, lol.
Julian

[lindad5038]

I will and thanks. I just thought that if I was building BB in the filter I am going to use, that it would cycle when I put the filter in the redone tank.

[Pardal]

I will and thanks. I just thought that if I was building BB in the filter I am going to use, that it would cycle when I put the filter in the redone tank.

If your filter is from an established previous cycled tank, then your are correct you shouldn't have any problem, just make sure that your bio load is similar to the one you have before. just watch your parameters and do WC to control them.

[lindad5038]

If I put a cycled filter pad and a partial cycled filter pad in that will work? I can get some discus?

[Pardal]

Yes it should work , however you should do daily WC regardless as most of us do . Daily WC are necessary also to reduce the bio-load/biomass (waste produce from fish/plants/invertebrates if any, and residual uneaten food) as we feed discus in highly protein foods like beef hearth and freeze dried products like black worms or "bloodworms" or any food regardless , to avoid diseases and stimulate growth this is imperative for juveniles as you should feed them heavily to avoid stunning.

[rickztahone]

Yes it should work , however you should do daily WC regardless as most of us do . Daily WC are necessary also to reduce the bio-load/biomass (waste produce from fish/plants/invertebrates if any, and residual uneaten food) as we feed discus in highly protein foods like beef hearth and freeze dried products like black worms or "bloodworms" or any food regardless , to avoid diseases and stimulate growth this is imperative for juveniles as you should feed them heavily to avoid stunning.

You can do as Julian is describing, however, you must also do WC's as he recommends as you will more than likely have ammonia spikes, even if the BB colony was enough to cover the new bio load of the tank. Typically this will settle in a week or two.

I will say this though, I always rather avoid starting a tank with a cycled sponge and doing a fishless cycle is always a less risky approach. YMMV