TheGameAce
- #1
So I know this is a "beginners" section, but I figured perhaps I could get some info from here, and it's been 10+ years since I last fully cycled a tank anyways. So with that out of the way, I'm just looking for a bit of clarification...
I got and set up a 125g (previous owner used it for saltwater, but already cleaned it out with a vinegar/water solution just to be safe), but it's been absolutely forever since I last cycled a tank from the start, and at least from what I've seen with videos and the such, things have merely confused me. I understand cycling from the start, but that's not quite what I'm doing.
What I did to try and kickstart the cycling, was I started out with putting some water from my 55 gallon into the 125g. I'd assume at least that's far too diluted to do anything, considering it was only a small portion of water, going into a massive tank of it, so I haven't gotten any noticeable readings yet. Then, I just the other day transferred one of my Emperors from my 55 to the 125, figuring that a filter from an established tank would do the trick. I'm also planning on adding some rocks and perhaps a small scoop of gravel if needed from the 55 to the 125 to further help the process along. I was also planning on changing over a lot more water to the 125 from the 55, hoping to at least see if after a day I can get some nitrate readings from the 125.
So now the major question is, will any of those things I've done help with the cycling, and based on that how can I tell if that cycled the tank, or if I need to take further action (such as the rocks, bottled bacteria, etc)? Any extra cycling information is appreciated as well!
Appreciate any and all help! Adding some quick pics of my beautiful rams just for the heck of it, too!

I got and set up a 125g (previous owner used it for saltwater, but already cleaned it out with a vinegar/water solution just to be safe), but it's been absolutely forever since I last cycled a tank from the start, and at least from what I've seen with videos and the such, things have merely confused me. I understand cycling from the start, but that's not quite what I'm doing.
What I did to try and kickstart the cycling, was I started out with putting some water from my 55 gallon into the 125g. I'd assume at least that's far too diluted to do anything, considering it was only a small portion of water, going into a massive tank of it, so I haven't gotten any noticeable readings yet. Then, I just the other day transferred one of my Emperors from my 55 to the 125, figuring that a filter from an established tank would do the trick. I'm also planning on adding some rocks and perhaps a small scoop of gravel if needed from the 55 to the 125 to further help the process along. I was also planning on changing over a lot more water to the 125 from the 55, hoping to at least see if after a day I can get some nitrate readings from the 125.
So now the major question is, will any of those things I've done help with the cycling, and based on that how can I tell if that cycled the tank, or if I need to take further action (such as the rocks, bottled bacteria, etc)? Any extra cycling information is appreciated as well!
Appreciate any and all help! Adding some quick pics of my beautiful rams just for the heck of it, too!

