Cycling And Pond Sand

[H Farnsworth]

So I set up a 55g exactly two weeks ago and I lined it with potting soil covered with a good layer of sand from a pond down the road. Will this sand speed up the nitrogen cycle?

 

[maggie thecat]

The sand will have some bacteria in it, like any substrate that has been in contact with fish. It could also contain pathogens and hitchikers, which is why most keepers avoid going "au natural".

How are you feeding your tank? If it's a fishless cycle, that is.

 

[H Farnsworth]

Treated the sand with levamisole before putting it in the tank. I’ve tossed fish food in, dinner scraps and a lil bit of a cookie I was eating. I have some precycled media in the back of the filter as well but I only added that today.

 

[maggie thecat]

Treated the sand with levamisole before putting it in the tank. I’ve tossed fish food in, dinner scraps and a lil bit of a cookie I was eating. I have some precycled media in the back of the filter as well but I only added that today.

Good plan on the levamisole. I think only a test kit is going to tell the tale of how quick the cycle is going to run.

 

[Lucy]

Hi!
I'm curious why dinner scraps and cookie bits were added to the tank.

How long was the media in the other tank, what size is it and how many fish (your other tank)?

 

[H Farnsworth]

Figured the decomposing food was essentially the same as fish food. Something to breakdown to produce ammonia and then so on.

Other tank was a 29 gallon with several cories, some crayfish a rainbow shark of moderate size and a platy.