# New 29 gal Cycling



## PortFan (Mar 26, 2014)

#1 drained ~ 15 gal. from established 29 gal. Ammonia (0), Nitrite (0), Nitrate (40), pH 7.4, Total Hardness ~120 mg/L CaCO3.
#2 added the drained 15 gal to new 29 gal. 
#3 moved filter and ~ 10 lbs gravel from established 29 gal. to new 29 gal aquarium. Put new filter in old aquarium. ( will add gravel to both aquaria later) 
#4 filled both aquariums to capacity with week aged, aerated, 78 degree water.

Established 29 gal aquarium - Ammonia (0), Nitrite (0), Nitrate (30), pH 7.6, TH ~120mg/L CaCO3. With ~ 15 Kerbensis (2 generations).

New 29 gal. aquarium--Ammonia (0), Nitrite (0), Nitrate (30), pH 7.8, TH ~120mg/L CaCO3. With no fish. With live Java Fern on a plastic root stump. (I know the numbers don't add up).

Is one week long enough to add fish?

Plan to order 6 angelfish-pinoy-green-pearlscale-medium *or* 6 Cichlasoma dimerus 3-3.5"

Will keep one pair of whatever and give away the rest.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Is there a filter on the new tank or just seeding on the established?

Moving gravel over will help, but there is nothing beneficial in the water. The new tank needs a food source- ammonia. If you follow the steps in the article on this site for fishless cycling, then you'll know for sure. If not, I'd let the new filter run for a month on the established tank.

Fishless cycling- http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycle.php


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## Thalas_shaya (Mar 10, 2014)

It looks as though in step 3 he took the entire filter from the established tank and moved it to the new one. Then put a new filter on the established tank. I'd guess, with water parameters as shown, that there was enough nitrogen-cycling bacteria in the gravel on the established tank to populate the new filter pretty fast; otherwise the ESTABLISHED tank with the new filter on it would be cycling. So, I'd say you're probably good to add fish, but if you want certainty based on something quantifiable (I always love measurable results over the opinions of people off the web - no offense to anyone on the web but we're not there with test kits in hand. 8) ) follow the basic outline of steps in the fishless cycling article Iggy linked. Add ammonia to get you to 1-2 ppm, wait 24 hours, test to see that the ammonia has gone to 0, check that nitrite is also 0. If yes, then proceed with fish. If no, then cycle appropriately.


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## PortFan (Mar 26, 2014)

Added Ammonia to 2mg/L.

Planning to do weekly 30% changes with water from established aquaria until (0) mg/L ammonia. Add fish.

Would like to obtain original, non- hybrid Angel fish with original, non-hybrid tetras, cats, etc.

Any suggestions for sources?


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Be sure that your nitrite is also zero and you have detectable nitrate.

I'll PM you a source for fish.


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## Thalas_shaya (Mar 10, 2014)

PortFan said:


> Added Ammonia to 2mg/L.
> 
> Planning to do weekly 30% changes with water from established aquaria until (0) mg/L ammonia. Add fish.


Wait - why are you using water from your established tank to do your water changes? This will put nitrate-rich water INTO your tank. The point of water changes is to exchange water with nitrates (the end product of the nitrogen cycle - thoroughly digested fish waste) for water with no or low nitrates. There are other aspects, too - KH (buffering capacity) is depleted as nitrates are produced, exposing you to a risk of pH swings, GH solids settle out, in acidic systems tannins leach into the water causing it to go yellow/brown, etc. Water changes are meant to remove water with all those problems and replace it with clean water, not water that's been dirtied from another tank. As Iggy said before - there is nothing in the tank water from an established tank that is beneficial to cycling a new tank. All the beneficial "bugs" MUST be attached to something - gravel in the substrate, media in the filter, etc. in order for their life cycle to proceed and for them to do their jobs.

Further, if you're testing for nitrates after dosing with ammonia as a way of determining the results will not be meaningful at all. You'll certainly detect nitrates, but with no way of knowing if they came in from the old tank or if they were produced in the new tank from the ammonia you added.


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## PortFan (Mar 26, 2014)

Thanks for the link! Iggy Newcastle

Guess I have another week to go on the new 29gal. Ammonia is a hair above 0.5 mg/L today.

I'll need to add more gravel for Amazon swords and Jungle Val if I choose the Silver angels. Meanwhile I asked them about "true port," C. portalegrense. The tank is ready for the Ports.

BTW, Thalas_shaya, The Nitrates in the new 29gal are 30 mg/L . When the Ammonia reaches (0) mg/L, Nitrites (0) I'll do another 50% water change with week aged, aerated, chlorine free, tap water the week before ordering fish. Also the filter media+sponge and gravel from the established 29gal are in the new cycling 29gal permanently.

Thanks


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