New tank, old stuff, no wait?

"Jim" <oldtownsta.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1116801239.583498.276750@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm setting up a "new" 30 gal. tank. I'm using enough stuff from my
> other well established cycling tanks that I'm hoping I won't have to
> wait for the tank to cycle.
>
> STUFF FROM OTHER TANKS:
> Rock
> Wood
> 2/3 of the water
> Very large sword plant
> Smaller other real & artificial plants.
> About a cup of gravel.
> Well used filter media.
>
> NEW STUFF:
> Tank
> Rest of the gravel
> 1/3 of the water
> Filter box itself
> Heater.
>
> Sound good enough to stock immediately, or should I expect to have to
> go through an ammonia cylce.
>
> Thanks in advance -- Jim
>
 >> Stay informed about: New tank, old stuff, no wait? 

"Jim" <oldtownsta.DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1116801239.583498.276750@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm setting up a "new" 30 gal. tank. I'm using enough stuff from my
> other well established cycling tanks that I'm hoping I won't have to
> wait for the tank to cycle.
>
> STUFF FROM OTHER TANKS:
> Rock
> Wood
> 2/3 of the water
> Very large sword plant
> Smaller other real & artificial plants.
> About a cup of gravel.
> Well used filter media.
>
> NEW STUFF:
> Tank
> Rest of the gravel
> 1/3 of the water
> Filter box itself
> Heater.
>
> Sound good enough to stock immediately, or should I expect to have to
> go through an ammonia cylce.
>
> Thanks in advance -- Jim
>
OK...what I have done is firstly set up the tank and let it settle for a few
days....adding water from your other tank probably (imo) won't be
beneficial...it is the bacteria that matter....after leaving the tank to
settle for a few days I then go and get the fish...as soon as they get in
the water I add substrate from one of my other tanks...if it doesn't match I
tie it up in something like a well washed foot of a pair of tights....the
odd decorative item also might get added. I then take some, but not all
because I don't want to compromise the other tank, of the filter medium from
one of the established tanks and put it into the filter of the new tank. I
do this after I get the fish so no bacteria dies off waiting for something
to feed it....on occasion this can be up to 12 hours later. Another thing
that I have done is to hang the new filter/pump in one of the established
tanks for two weeks plus prior to adding the fish to the new tank and then
just switched it over...also seems to work...I have also moved plants from
tank to tank

Hope this helps
Gill
 >> Stay informed about: New tank, old stuff, no wait? 

Recently I set up a 55 from a friend. I used everything from the tank
as he had it. The only new thing I added was the water and my fish.
He had ugf and I did not use that ....I gently rinsed all the gravel
and used his other 2 filters....a magnum and a HOB with bio wheels. I
took a huge risk and stocked the tank right away with about 20 tetras.
That was 6 weeks ago. I tested the water daily and I never had any
spikes (not yet anyway).

If I were you I would probably try to use more than a cup of gravel. I
tried to set up a 10 g some time ago and I used water, filter media,
and a cup of gravel from one of my cycled tanks. I was sure this could
work.....but alas it didnt. So I had to buy bio spira and deal with an
unstable tank.

good luck
Pam
 >> Stay informed about: New tank, old stuff, no wait? 

"Jim" <oldtownsta DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:1116801239.583498.276750@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> I'm setting up a "new" 30 gal. tank. I'm using enough stuff from my
> other well established cycling tanks that I'm hoping I won't have to
> wait for the tank to cycle.
>
> STUFF FROM OTHER TANKS:
> Rock
> Wood
> 2/3 of the water
> Very large sword plant
> Smaller other real & artificial plants.
> About a cup of gravel.
> Well used filter media.
>
> NEW STUFF:
> Tank
> Rest of the gravel
> 1/3 of the water
> Filter box itself
> Heater.
>
> Sound good enough to stock immediately, or should I expect to have to
> go through an ammonia cylce.

It depends on i) how much bacteria gets transferred (ie: don't let the
wood dry in between tanks) and ii) the size of your new fish load. Can
you stick some old filter media in your new filter? This gives a good
bacterial boost, and is usually enough.
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Thanks in advance -- Jim
>
 >> Stay informed about: New tank, old stuff, no wait? 

Thanks to all -- very helpful! -- Jim
 >> Stay informed about: New tank, old stuff, no wait?