I have a new 55 gallon tank. I want to house African Rift Lake cichlids. I haven't set the tank up just yet, but I'm getting ready to do it. For the tank, I have a HOT magnum 250 filter. What I would like to do is take that filter and add it to my established 30 gallon tank to cycle the filter. My 30 gallon is very lightly stocked ( one play, three corys, two small bristlenose plecos) Then, set up the 55 gallon, and for the time being, add some ghost shrimp to keep the cycle going until I decide what fish I want. my questions are:
1. will this work? 2. how long will it take the new filter to cycle in the already established tank? 3. will the shrimp be able to keep the cycle going? 4. how many ghost shrimp should I use in the 55 gallon? 5. would this cause any problems with my already established 30 gallon tank?
goo2008-01-13T07:12:10Z
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It would probably work, but I don't think the ghost shrimp are going to let you add more then 1 or 2 fish at a time due to their bioload. But using a filter from an alreadt established tank is the way I always try to go.
You can get some good bacteria going in your new filter by putting it on your other tank for a couple weeks. Also if possible add some of the gravel from your old tank to the new one and when you do your weekly water changes add that to the new tank. If you plan on keeping the old tank going don't take that filter out or you'll kill the bacteria in it.
I cycled a 55 gallon in 2 weeks by using old filter media, old gravel, about 15 gallons of old water and 2 small goldfish. I'm not sure that shrimp will keep the cycle going or be able to tolerate the cycle.
You can add fish food to the take to get the bioload you need. I don't think it will harm your 30 unless the water flow is too much from the larger filter or having 2 of them running. Your water will definitely be clean!
People need to realize that a filter does not cycle a tank. The biological bacteria is established everywhere in the aquarium, but in the gravel is where it is most important. I would buy Bio-Spira to cycle the tank over night. Inverts, such as the shrimp, will not cycle the tank, they will just die. They are too sensetive to the ammonia and nitrite. Using the gravel from the 30, or all the water from the 30 will help the cycle go quicker. As for how many shrimp, it is hard to tell. Try one at first to see if the cichlids will eat him. If not, add no more than a dozen.
You recognise what's a quite quick and potent approach to cycle a brand new tank. If you have got a filter out that has extra then one sort of filter out medium Take one aspect of it out and however a brand new one in. Take the historic cycled filter out medium and placed it within the new filter out. BOOM your performed then upload a few aquarium water out of your historic tank to the brand new tank. The new tank is now cycled.