Fishless Cycle Or Transfer Filter

I'm 1 week into my fishless cycle for my 75 gallon aquarium. No progress, even seeded from my 20 gallon tank.

I was considering emptying water from the 75 gallon then refilling so there's no ammonia. Then moving the fish from my current 20 gallon over and bringing the established filter with it. I would also bring some of the decorations, but would not bring the gravel.

The filter is a Fluval 30. I'm running a Forza Fz9 on the 75 gallon which I'm trying to cycle.

Would this work to move my current fish over early while cycling the new filter?

And when would the new filter be cycled to where I could add more new fish?

 

with moving the filter over and not cleaning it, your tank will be cycled within 4 days. adding plants/decor won't do much but will help. you can move the fish 12 hours after adding the filter.

 

If it were me I would move everything including the water from the 20 gallon over to the 75. There is very little if any bacteria in the water but it is the water your fish are used to. Bacteria grows on every surface in the tank so you want to try to move all of it over to help seed the new tank. Even though you don't plan on using the gravel you may want to put it in some media bags and scatter them around and under the water stream coming from your filters or actually in your filter housings if there is room for all or at least some of it.

Run both the filter you now have on the 75 and the one you have on the 20 until the cycle catches up in the bigger tank. Keep a close eye on the perimeters and add prime if you get a small ammonia spike and do a water change if it goes up to 1 or above.

If your 20 gallon was cycled by doing it this way you are just moving your cycle from one tank to another. There is quite a difference between a 20 and a 75 so a minI cycle is possible.

You do want to get the ammonia as low as possible in the 75 before you move everything over to it.

 

For the most part if you move the filter and the fish over from the 20 gallon tank to the 75 gallon tank. The new tank will be cycled for that Bio load. Just due a good water change on the 75, before moving the filter and fish. it will take about a month for the larger filter to get fully populated with bacteria. But doing that time frame you could start adding stock to your tank within reason. The fun of big tanks is they are more forgiving about swings in water parameters.

 

For the most part if you move the filter and the fish over from the 20 gallon tank to the 75 gallon tank. The new tank will be cycled for that Bio load. Just due a good water change on the 75, before moving the filter and fish. it will take about a month for the larger filter to get fully populated with bacteria. But doing that time frame you could start adding stock to your tank within reason. The fun of big tanks is they are more forgiving about swings in water parameters.

I would populate slowly.

You have beneficial bacteria to support your existing stock. A couple fish at a time, weekly and it should expand nicely. Too much, too quick will cause an ammonia spike.

 

Ok. So the consensus is that I'll be cycled for my current bio load, or at least MOSTLY cycled. A minI cycle could be possible but I can deal with that with Prime and water changes.

I'll do a 100% water change, then bring in the new fish and the filter from my 20G. I'll wait 2 weeks before adding new fish just to be safe, then add 5 fish a week (more or less depending on how ammonia reacts).

Everyone think this is a good idea?

 

Ok. So the consensus is that I'll be cycled for my current bio load, or at least MOSTLY cycled. A minI cycle could be possible but I can deal with that with Prime and water changes.

I'll do a 100% water change, then bring in the new fish and the filter from my 20G. I'll wait 2 weeks before adding new fish just to be safe, then add 5 fish a week (more or less depending on how ammonia reacts).

Everyone think this is a good idea?

It sounds like a good plan.