2. Wrung out filter pad from mature tank into bio-wheel of new filter every day for two weeks.
This cycled my 29 gallon in a just under three weeks. I had two fish in there and never had any ammonia or nitrite spikes a partial water change didn't handle.
If you have media from an operational tank take half of it and add it to the new tank and take half of the new media and add it to the old tank. Or id you dont have a filter that you can split up the media and you know your setting up a new tank put the filter on your old tank for a few days-week and it will collect bacteria.
What kind of filter are you using on your tank? And how do you have it set up?
There's many options of where to put the mature media. You could purchase filter media bags and if the chamber is big enough inside the filter, you can put it directly in there. If there's no room inside the filter, again, you can place it inside a filter bag (or even a cut up panty-hose) and have it dangle in front of the filter's waterfall, or anywhere in the tank really, as long as there is adequate water movement.
Another thing you can do is get rocks and decorations from an established tank and place them in yours - they are all home to bacteria colonies; even a hand-full of gravel dropped on your gravel bed.
You do have a liquid test kit, right? That is an important tool used when cycling a tank. Basically, after you place mature media in your tank or filter, you want to test the water at least a couple times a week to see where you are at. You're familiar with the nitrogen cycle right? In the end you want to have no trace of ammonia or nitrites, and a trifle amount of Nitrates, like under 30ppm. When removing the media I'd remove it slowly - don't just suddenly take it all out after the cycle, that could restart the whole cycling process and lead to problems if you have fish. You want to give it some time, even after the test results say you're cycled - that way it gives your tank and filter time to develop their own bacteria colonies on top of the ones added by you.
Sorry for the long post...kind of went on and on...
Hope this helps a little.
i got a new filter for one of my bigger tanks thats an ehiem liberty 200 and the tank has been well established. but i was wondering cuz im redoing 2 tanks and i just wanted to kno how to use the media thing
ur post was very helpful and yes i kno the nitrogen cycle, memorized form grade 10 science lol. and i have a test kit. so no worrys
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