Could my 5 gallon tank complete nitrogen cycle in 3 days?

I started a 5 gallon tank a few days ago that will house my swordtail fry, right now they're still in my 53 gallon in a breeder box. I dosed with Prime and Stability the first night along with some fish food. The next day I took the old media from my HOB filter on my other 5 gallon tank and put it in the HOB filter in the new 5 gallon tank. I've kept dosing with Stability each night. Tonight was the first night I tested the water. My ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm, my nitrates are 5ppm. I know that using my old media cartridge in my new tank would really speed things up, should I consider this new 5 gallon tank cycled? The water still seems a little cloudy, but I can't tell if it's just the light, or perhaps I didn't clean the gravel good enough. I think it was a little cloudy looking the first night I set it up, so I don't think it's a bacteria bloom, but guess it could be. Thoughts?

 

If you put in cycled media, it is very possible and fairly probable.

 

That's what I'm thinking too. Should I continue with Stability until the 7 day dosage has been met? Should I put anymore fish food in the tank (I put a small amount of finely crushed flakes Monday night and again tonight). What about a 20% water change to see if the cloudiness clears up a little?

 

Absolutely! Mine did which was awesome…. I then sucked out the food and 50% of water and filled it up with water from my other tank

 

So....what is your ammonia source?
The swordtail etc aren't in the tank yet right?

Transferring the established media to the new tank is absolutely the best thing you could do but without measuring how fast the ammonia converts....its kinda hard to answer your question and be certain.

I don't think that the Stability is necessary...especially if there isn't an ammonia source and not if you have cycled media in the tank. All that's going in there is a livebearer and some fry, why don't you go ahead and add the fish?

 

I started a 5 gallon tank a few days ago that will house my swordtail fry, right now they're still in my 53 gallon in a breeder box. I dosed with Prime and Stability the first night along with some fish food. The next day I took the old media from my HOB filter on my other 5 gallon tank and put it in the HOB filter in the new 5 gallon tank. I've kept dosing with Stability each night. Tonight was the first night I tested the water. My ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm, my nitrates are 5ppm. I know that using my old media cartridge in my new tank would really speed things up, should I consider this new 5 gallon tank cycled? The water still seems a little cloudy, but I can't tell if it's just the light, or perhaps I didn't clean the gravel good enough. I think it was a little cloudy looking the first night I set it up, so I don't think it's a bacteria bloom, but guess it could be. Thoughts?

Unfortunately with ghostfeeding you can't say in that short of a time. You have to ghostfeed, and an amount equivalent to what you'd feed the whole tank rather than just a bit of fish food, for about ten days or so straight with ammonia and nitrite being zero (or close enough) for it to be considered cycled.

 

I missed the part about adding the fish food...and it's perfectly fine to do that.
But if all you are adding is fry to the tank with cycled media.....you should be fine.

I promise that they aren't going to produce 1ppm of ammonia per day.
And you should be changing water very often in a fry tank anyway. So everything should be ok.

 

Should I vacuum some fish poop from the other tank and dump it in the new tank, will that work?

 

Should I vacuum some fish poop from the other tank and dump it in the new tank, will that work?

Can I clarify what you think this would achieve?

 

Can I clarify what you think this would achieve

Would that introduce ammonia to the tank quicker than food?

 

I think he wants to use fish poop as an ammonia source.

Look, lets not overthink this. This is a 5 gallon fry tank with cycled media in the filter.
You should be changing water often anyways.
I would put the fry in the tank and keep up with the maintenance and you will see that this tank will establish rather quickly and nicely.

 

I think he wants to use fish poop as an ammonia source.

Look, lets not overthink this. This is a 5 gallon fry tank with cycled media in the filter.
You should be changing water often anyways.
I would put the fry in the tank and keep up with the maintenance and you will see that this tank will establish rather quickly and nicely.

Yes, I would be changing 20% of the water weekly. I do this on my other 5 gallon tank that has 3 adult platys, 1 nerite snail, and 1 amano shrimp, and a 20% weekly water change on that tank has kept all of those animals alive for over a year in that tank with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites. I'm just concerned about an ammonia spike and what effect that would have on very small fry, but I would be testing daily.

 

Yes, I would be changing 20% of the water weekly. I do this on my other 5 gallon tank that has 3 adult platys, 1 nerite snail, and 1 amano shrimp, and a 20% weekly water change on that tank has kept all of those animals alive for over a year in that tank with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites. I'm just concerned about an ammonia spike and what effect that would have on very small fry, but I would be testing daily.

You probably want to consider changing more water in a fry tank.

For whatever it’s worth, I’ve done 50% changes every 2 or 3 days when raising fry.

 

You probably want to consider changing more water in a fry tank.

For whatever it’s worth, I’ve done 50% changes every 2 or 3 days when raising fry.

Why change the water more often in a fry tank? Just curious? Are you vacuuming each time or just changing the water?

 

Why change the water more often in a fry tank? Just curious? Are you vacuuming each time or just changing the water?

Just change water often in a fry tank. If you cant do every day at least change water every 2-3 days.
As far as a percentage....the more the better.
Your babies will thrive in fresh clean water.
If necessary....you can vacuum every once in a while but its not critical at this stage.

 

Why change the water more often in a fry tank? Just curious? Are you vacuuming each time or just changing the water?

Fish emit a growth hormone that can affect the growth rate of the fish. When growing out fry water changes are needed to keep this hormone diluted.

As to your question. Yes it is very possible to almost instantly cycle a tank when using seeded media from a fully cycled tank. I have done it many times. I keep an extra sponge filter running in my main tank specifically for this purpose. Go ahead and siphon out any extra food you have added to this tank. Once done go ahead and put the fry in there. Don't add any waste from the other tank to this one.

Since you are moving the fry from one tank to another refill the grow out tank with water from the tank they are in right now. It is the water they are used to so no need for acclimation.

 

Would that introduce ammonia to the tank quicker than food?

Ohhh gotcha. I think a bit of clarification on the cycling process is needed here.

Generally a tank is considered cycled if it can handle a certain amount of ammonia a day, preferably what would be expected to be produced from the tank's (eventual) inhabitants. This realistically translates to 1ppm/day as a rule of thumb, though could be closer to that number or much less depending on actual feeding.

So with the ammonia-dosing method, one would just need to make sure both ammonia and nitrite reads zero within 24 hours of dosing ammonia, which indicates that well, 1ppm ammonia could be consumed a day.

With fish food, it's the same concept. You 'ghostfeed' the tank as if it is fully stocked (with fry in this case), and if ammonia and nitrite remains zero, that's great. The issue is fish food can take some time to break down, hence the ten day or so requirement just to take it into account.

 

Since you are moving the fry from one tank to another refill the grow out tank with water from the tank they are in right now. It is the water they are used to so no need for acclimation.

What an excellent idea. Since they are moving from my 53 gallon community tank, I'm assuming that you're suggesting I remove 50% or more water from my 5 gallon and fill it with water from my 53 gallon just prior to transporting the fry right? This may be a dumb question, but will this affect the existing bacteria in the 5 gallon?

 

This may be a dumb question, but will this affect the existing bacteria in the 5 gallon?

No. Water changes and/or water transfers will not affect beneficial bacteria or the cycling process.

 

What an excellent idea. Since they are moving from my 53 gallon community tank, I'm assuming that you're suggesting I remove 50% or more water from my 5 gallon and fill it with water from my 53 gallon just prior to transporting the fry right? This may be a dumb question, but will this affect the existing bacteria in the 5 gallon?

Dunk2 is right. There is little to no bacteria in the water so moving it isn't going to do anything for the cycling process. Since your fry are in the breeder net in the big tank they are already acclimated to the parameters of that water. Filling the 5 gallon tank with mostly water from the big tank will be better for the fry.

 

Dunk2 is right.

Now you’re sounding like my wife.

 

Now you’re sounding like my wife.

Lol, my wife never says that to me...even tho i am .......obviously.