What to do??

[Goodbye]

I have a couple 10 gallon tanks that have been kept only partially full of water for the past few weeks and was wondering if I should just go through the cycling process with them again.

The first one has about 1/8 of the tank water remaining in it and has a gravel substrate, fake plants (which I hope to replace with some live plants such as Java fern, and Java Moss), a couple rocks, a 50 watt heater, and a sponge filter. When it was full of water a week or so ago, it had no fish in it.

The second is a tank that was recently given to me. It was used as a hospital tank, but has not been running for a month or so. There is no water currently in this tank. It has a crushed coral substrate, fake plant, couple rocks, 50 watt heater and a filter that needs to be thrown out due to the fact that it is no longer working.

The third will go through cycling since it has never been set up as an aquarium before.

So with the first and second tank, what do I need to do to be able to run them again? I am assuming that I should put them both through the fishless cycling process again? The first is going to be set up as a fry tank and the second as a Hospital/Quarantine tank.

Thanks,

Agassizii

[Red]

I would maybe clean the filters out, and put them one of each on different tanks to boost up the cycle, and keep it going while you have no fish in there..

[Flowcus]

Well for the first tank I would cycle it with the fishless method... There is a chance the substrate and sponge still have bacteria on them if you did have fish in the tank at one point.

For my hospital tank I just keep it with a bare bottom full of water and a heater always running in it. And I keep the filter for it running on one of my other tanks like my 55 until I need to use my hospital. When I need to use it when I buy a new fish, or someone gets sick... I just move the filter back over to the hospital when I need it. That keeps my hospitals filter cycled at all times.

Good luck with the new tanks! thumbs2:

[Northernguy]

Agreed! The tanks should be cleaned out and the substrate rinsed out if you plan on reusing it.Place the cleaned out filters with new media on your cycled tanks and let them run.
They will get cycled and keep your tank that much cleaner.When you need a hospital tank or just another cycled tank,place one of the filters onto a clean filled and dechlorinated tank.Instant cycle.
Flowcus that good bacteria is dead within 24hrs of having no fish.

[Owlbehere]

I would do basically what sev said. I would place your filters on cycled tanks for a while to let them get cycled and place them on the tanks when ready. Instant cycle.
I keep a 10 g filter on my 20 so when I need to set up the quarantine tank I have it cycled instantly.

[Goodbye]

I would maybe clean the filters out, and put them one of each on different tanks to boost up the cycle, and keep it going while you have no fish in there..

So your saying that I should give the filters a light cleaning then place them on a tank that is already running (probably my 38 gallon planted tank) for a week or two. Then place them on the 10g's and run them.

[Red]

I agree, I have multiple back up filters running for QT tanks and just in case a filter breaks. (1 ac 110, 1 cheap filter, 2 emporer 400's)

And I am saying clean them fully, just in case the other tanks had something, then place them on your main tanks (one on each) and let them run for a while, and when you want to use them just take them off, and when your done, put them back on..

[Owlbehere]

Well for the first tank I would cycle it with the fishless method... There is a chance the substrate and sponge still have bacteria on them if you did have fish in the tank at one point.

If there wasn't any ammonia feeding the bacteria and the filter and/or substrate dried up then the bacteria is no longer useful. Its dead. Everything needs to be cycled.

edit: Lol northernguy we posted at the same time :) I didn't see your post till after this one

[Goodbye]

Ok, Thanks for all the quick replies! Now I know what I am going to be doing this weekend.thumbs2:

[Flowcus]

If there wasn't any ammonia feeding the bacteria and the filter and/or substrate dried up then the bacteria is no longer useful. Its dead. Everything needs to be cycled.

This is true but there could still be some food breaking down or fish waste in there breaking down producing ammonia. I had a 5 gallon bucket full of substrate from an old tank tear down that was sitting there for 3 days. The top 6" was dried out, but the stuff below was still damp. I added it to my 12g Eclipse when I went to start the cycle, and I tested the water after adding it and it still showed some nitrates. Not only that 2 days after filling the tank and allowing it to run it was crawling with hundreds of Malaysian Trumpet Snails that seemed to still be alive in the substrate after 72+ hours out of water and a fish tank.

So if there is still something in that 1/8th full tank that could break down and produce enough ammonia it could help sustain some of the bacteria colony. Not all of it, but some of it.

[Red]

Then again, the water is filthy on filter water, that you have no clue what has been in there. I would just go my way, a bit safer, just a little more patience..

[Bok]

I don't have enough filters any longer to run a spare for such instances so I take the carbon filter out of an established tank and leave whatever medium is also running in it.
I know carbon has a relatively short live for filtering but it does have bacterial colony, so I keep and use them for cycling a new tank.

[Red]

Maybe instead of carbon use another sponge pad..

[Bok]

Maybe instead of carbon use another sponge pad..
No reason to replace them (I hope?) at this point in the established tanks but yes I can do that. In any new tanks I'm cycling that is what I do. Sponge and an established carbon filter.

[Red]

oh, I meant like instead of moving around established carbon maybe use a established sponge. Because I think over time carbon leaches stuff. (don't no for sure, thought I read that somewhere)

[Bok]

oh, I meant like instead of moving around established carbon maybe use a established sponge. Because I think over time carbon leaches stuff. (don't no for sure, thought I read that somewhere)
Ah, okay! Yes, sponge I think does hold more bacteria I think, thicker etc. than carbon.
I think I have also read something about carbon leaching 'something' but I use it anyway and it works for me.
I get a bit shaky when I remove the sponge filters out of a tank to establish in another lol
Just my way of doing it :)

[Red]

yeah, sometimes people do it there own ways, and there is nothing wrong with that :)