Cycling a new tank

[Abbeys_Mom]

I am (fingers crossed) getting my new 55g tomorrow. When I cleaned my 27g yesterday (vacuumed the gravel) I saved the dirty water. I am putting clean gravel in the new tank, but plan on running the filter from the 27g on the new tank as well. My question is... how long will it take to cycle? I can also add an anubias and some java fern, but I don't have enough plants to qualify as heavily planted.

[Incredulous_Ed]

If the filter is nice and dirty and powerful it should be able to support a bioload immediately. This is how I cycle new tanks. I just leave the filter on the tank for a few weeks and there have never been any problems.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Yea...that's great news :)

[NanoTankGuy]

I am (fingers crossed) getting my new 55g tomorrow. When I cleaned my 27g yesterday (vacuumed the gravel) I saved the dirty water. I am putting clean gravel in the new tank, but plan on running the filter from the 27g on the new tank as well. My question is... how long will it take to cycle? I can also add an anubias and some java fern, but I don't have enough plants to qualify as heavily planted.
It depends - if you cycle fishless with ammonia should be about 4 weeks, but times vary. It took me 8 days to cycle my old 6G. Pour the nasty water through the filter :)
Good luck :)

[Abbeys_Mom]

I have let the waste water settle and was going to syphon most of the water out, just leaving the "junk" and add it to my tank. I plan to add fish slowly after a day or so. Starting with Danios (if they make it). The tank will be Really under stocked as it will only have a 2" severum a 4" yo-yo loach and 4 danios. Until I can get my firemouths.

[NanoTankGuy]

You can do that, too. Why don't you transfer some gravel from your old tank as well? :)

[Abbeys_Mom]

I will probably add some. I have a gravel/sand mix in my 27g. I thought about scooping a few cups into the new tank. I was hoping to by new substrate for the new tank, but I already need new media for my filter and I want to buy more fish. I don't the my husband would be ok with the added expense so soon after spending $180 on the new tank.

[terrapin24h]

everything i have read says that the bacteria live on stuff--decor, plants, gravel, etc. The more stuff you can get from one tank to the other the better, and the filter will be the BIG element in the process, it will have the bulk of you tank's bacteria in it. send ud pics once you get it!

--chris

[greatXpectations]

just a thought...put new gravel across the floor, like normal...put the old gravel in a vase or bowl or something similar just to hold it in the water, but not become part of the new decor. once the tank is cycled, remove the old gravel and enough goodies should have transferred to the new gravel. I agree about the filter though...

[Billythefish]

I would worry about (nts) with this method but good luck all the same.