Can you cycle a filter and move it to another tank?

[GFarra]

Hi Everyone,

I have a Marina Slim 10 filter that I want to add to my delta tail's 5 gallon tank. I would prefer to do a fishless cycle and I have 2.5 gallon which is not being used right now.

Can i get a bacteria colony established in the filter media using my spare tank and then move the entire filter & media to my 5 gallon tank?

TIA,

George

[clopez1]

You can..I'd leave it in the cycled tank for about 3 weeks if possible to make sure it gets seeded properly..Or if you can get some of the media from the filter being used in the cycled tank and put it in the new one.

[Hallyx]

It's not clear to me that you have a cycled tank to get seeded media from. I'll assume not.

You have the right idea: house your fish in the larger tank and do water changes enough to keep ammonia well below 0.25ppm while you cycle the filter in a spare tank or even a bucket. Read about "bucket cycling" here:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/b...-guide-111960/

This is easier on your fish, but it takes about the same amount of time if you don't have filter foam or gravel with nitrifying bacteria in it.

If you have seeded media, put it in the new filter or in the flow around the new filter and use your fish as an ammonia source. Monitor carefully and change water to keep ammonia <0.25ppm.

[GFarra]

Hallyx,

Correct, I do not have seeded media at this point. I was going colonize the filter media in a spare tank diong a fishless cycle and then move the filter and the media to the 5 gallon tank that my betta lives in.

My spare is a 2.5 gallon tank. Will I have any issues migrating a media/filter that colonized for a 2.5gallon environment over to a tank that is double in size??

Thanks

George

[GFarra]

Hallyx

Thank you for that link. Answered my questions :)

Regards

George

[Hallyx]

After a few weeks, when you think you may have some bacteria, you can speed up the cycle by:
---Keeping ammonia >2.0ppm
---Running your filter full blast
---Keeping your temperature >85*
---Keeping the tank dark

[goldfishyman]

I would just run both filters at the same time in the bigger tank. Then both can seed at the same time.

[Hallyx]

You could. But then you'd be performing a fish-in cycle with its requirements of diligent water changes and monitoring. This takes considerably longer and all the while the fish is subjected to non-zero amounts of ammonia.

Read this and then decide what you want to do: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/b...ecific-107771/