20g Long Cycling With Filter Media

Two weeks ago I started a 20 gallon long. It’s a freshwater, heavily planted tank with dual substrate because I want to home juliI cories. I currently have a 10 gallon and a 5g. I used a sponge from my 10 gallon HOB filter and some plants from both tanks(after a light cleaning). Yesterday I added substrate. My parameters read...
Ammonia 0ppm
Ph 6.6
Nitrates and nitrites 0ppm
Copper 0ppm
Gh 50ppm
Kh 0-50ppm
Temp: 78


Is it safe to add two snails? Is the tank cycled?

Side note: how do you slow the outflow on an eheim classic 250 canister filter?

 

were there any fish in there for those 2 weeks?? If not, the beneficial bacteria you moved to the new tank with that sponge has died off with no ammonia source to feed it....

Zero nitrates does not indicate a cycled tank.

 

were there any fish in there for those 2 weeks?? If not, the beneficial bacteria you moved to the new tank with that sponge has died off with no ammonia source to feed it....

Zero nitrates does not indicate a cycled tank.

I didn’t put any fish into the tank for the two weeks but I supplemented the tank with food and seachem stability. Thank you for replying so quicky

Would adding my HOB filter to the 20 gallon be a helpful precaution in preventing a death when I add fish?

 

Two weeks ago I started a 20 gallon long. It’s a freshwater, heavily planted tank with dual substrate because I want to home juliI cories. I currently have a 10 gallon and a 5g. I used a sponge from my 10 gallon HOB filter and some plants from both tanks(after a light cleaning). Yesterday I added substrate. My parameters read...
Ammonia 0ppm
Ph 6.6
Nitrates and nitrites 0ppm
Copper 0ppm
Gh 50ppm
Kh 0-50ppm
Temp: 78


Is it safe to add two snails? Is the tank cycled?

Side note: how do you slow the outflow on an eheim classic 250 canister filter?

Hello ly...

If you moved anything from an established tank to a new tank, the new tank is instantly cycled. It has an established bacteria colony. You can add a few small fish to the new tank and just test the water every day or two to make sure the bacteria is working to use the ammonia and nitrite produced by the dissolving waste. You can add the snails. As for the last question, I'm no help. I just use inexpensive dual sponge filters in my tanks.

Old

 

I didn’t put any fish into the tank for the two weeks but I supplemented the tank with food and seachem stability. Thank you for replying so quicky

Fish food wouldn't provide/produce much ammonia during the two weeks. And without any ammonia, the BB in the stability bottle also died off.....

Using seeded media and bottled bacteria really are best used for fish IN cycles. They don't really do their job with a fishless cycle. Unless you are also adding pure ammonia.

The fact that you have no nitrates tells me the tank is not cycled unfortunately.