# how long cycling a tank with old media



## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

I am setting up a 50 gallon bow front I just picked up a couple of days ago. I plan on making this my tropheus colony tank, once it's up and running.
I have a 75 galllon mbuna tank with an fx-5 up and running currently.
I picked up a used eheim pro 3e for the 55 gallon. That filter has not been used in a couple of weeks, but is still full of water and media. I know the bacteria in the filter are dead, but do I need to dump out the water and wash the media or leave it as is? 
Also, how much of a jump on cycling will I get if I use one ceramic bio bag from my fx-5 into the eheim, use about 1/4 old sand from the 75 gallon and 3/4 new sand, and use 50% water from the 85 gallons water change and 50% new water with prime?


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## tchoke (Dec 1, 2013)

i did something similar, i would recomend cleaning the new eheim out and use half of the media from fx5 into the eheim
take some rocks sand decors from 75 gal and put into new tank. for me i didnt bother keeping the old water and always use prime


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

dump the water from that filter, take some water out of your 75 and use that to rinse the media from that eheim before using it. Don't bother moving water from the 75 to the 50, rest looks ok, only way to know how long it will take is to test daily, it may be very quick but if you are going to add a lot of tropheus at once I'd be sure to be dosing ammonia and making sure it gets converted in 24hrs or less before hand.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Since the used filter you got has been unused for a couple weeks and sitting stagnant, I highly recommend thoroughly cleaning it out with tap water. You will probably notice a very nasty smell when you open it, especially if the filter wasn't cleaned prior to you receiving it.


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## Dierianrigg (Dec 18, 2013)

I also got 2 used filters 3-4 weeks ago. It has been unused for 2-3 weeks but there was water in them. I opened them to clean last week. There was no nasty smell at all. I turned on the filters and make them filter about 4-5G water. The water was also odorless. So, I think there is a possibility for bacteria to stay alive but I am not %100 sure yet. Because my tank is still at cycling phase.

If you are sure bacteria in the filter are dead make sure you get rid of them. Dead bacteria forms hydrogen sulfite and it causes filter media to become unusable. Best way to solve (also probably worst case scenario) getting new filter media and washing the rest with hot water and a sponge.


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## otterich (Aug 15, 2012)

1) clean the new filter and tank really well.
2) add your water, filter, substrate
3) if your existing tank is well established, trasfer plenty of the substrate, any foam/debris from your existing filter should be added also.

4) it should be established in only a few days if done right. here is the issue with cycling. you need waste/fish to maintain the cycle.
I would put in a few lower valued cichlids and allow it to cycle.

I did it this way 3weeks ago on a new 120gal. the parameters have never changed, very stable right away, and I have algae growing on the rocks within 1wk.


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## AlCzervik (Oct 6, 2012)

Im assuming you have a 46 bow front. How many fish do you plan on putting in there? Thats an awfully small tank for trophs.

If you are using enough old media the tank should not cycle at all.


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## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

i was told it is a 50 gallon bow front... it's 36L*18W*20H. I plan on only keeping about 10-15 tropheus in it. if all else fails, i could swap the mbuna from the 75g to this and put the trophues in the 75g... The guy backed out i was going to get my Lufubu from, so for now I am looking at picking up 10 litho fry this weekend.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

A 48" x 18" footprint is the suggested bare minimum for a tropheus colony.

The footprint of the new tank is not suitable for mbuna either, unless you're going with a single dwarf species.

You could do some really cool stuff in the new tank like a small Lake Tang community. Or some of the smaller SA and CA cichlids.


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## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

well, I just got a whisper ex70 for now to get the tank up and running, and I plan on adding a canister later on. The Eheim pro 3e doesn't seem to ever leave calibration mode... I've seen it with out the lights scrolling up and down 2 times I think, then it went back with in 5 mins...I did have to use my own hose and make my own intake and spray bar, is that why? I used 5/8in ID hose and 1/2 in PVC pipe. I wish I could get this thing working correctly, but I guess I will just go get my money back from the guy and get another canister later on..

I let the tank run for a couple of days with 2 large holley rocks and about 10 lava rocks, all that had nice algae growth on them, and 1/4 of the sand in this aquarium is from my 75g, so I hope those had some good bacteria. Just in case I added API Quick Start, but only a treatment for 20 gallons. The next day I picked up 12 yellow blaze fry, and they have been enjoying the tank for the last 72hrs, no issues so far. I know this will have to be a grow out tank for them, but at least I found a use for it for now...


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Easiest way to verify a good bacteria colony is to dose 2-3ppm ammonia. Test 24 hours later and you should have 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrite and a positive nitrate reading. Unfortunately, you can't do this with fish in the tank.


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## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

yeah, I just didnt have any other place to put the litho fry. I figured they produced such a low bio load that it should be ok. or at least i hope it is... lol


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Probably be fine, I'd still test daily and try not to overfeed. :thumb:


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## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

Tank has been up and running now for almost 3 weeks. I've since acquired some new filters and a new tank as well. I picked up 2 ac110 and a 2217. I also picked up a 90 gallon tank to replace my 40 gallon that houses my red ear slider turtle and my green terror and firemouths. I Still have the EX70 running on the 50 gallon, but I added one ac110 3 days ago. It did not come with media except the biomax bags, so I used plastic pot scrubbers in the bottom, polyfil in the middle, and the bio bag on top. The other ac110 is on the 90 gallon. The 90 gallon also has a Hydor 425 gph powerhead towards the bottom to keep things from settling. I want to move the EX70 over to the 90 as well, and add the 2217 to the 50g with the ac110.
First, is this the right order to have my media in the ac110's? Second, how long do I need to run the EX70 with the ac110 in the 50g before I can move it over and replace it with the 2217?


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

The ac110 media order looks fine, i'd give the ac110 at minimum 2-3 weeks. Why not put the 2217 on the 90? If you are replacing the 40gal, you can just put the whatever new filter you want on it with the old filter as well. If not adding any livestock it should be fine.


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## TwiztidUnreal (Mar 18, 2013)

The reason I don't put the 2217 on the 90g is 2 fold. First the 90 is on an old hard wood dresser and doesn't have room for a canister around it, only HOB. Secondly, I have a 75g with a fx-5 on it, that I plan on converting to a wet dry system, then I will use the fx-5 on the 90 with the ac110.
When I swapped the 40 for the 90, I used all the old sand and rocks, and added more new sand and rocks, and kept the old filter running in the new tank, as well as the ac110. Didn't add any new stock, just same that was in 40g


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

all this musical filters mebbe unnecessary...

put both 110's on the 90 for now.. you can take some media out of any of your existing filters and put it in the 110's as well you can take gravel from the rest of your tanks and put in a media bag and drop in the 90 to help seed. Put the 2217 on the 50 with the ex70. Wait a month and then move whatever you like wherever you like.


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