Will cycled Biomax start cycle on new tank?

Okay, yes I got MTS bad and ordered 3 x 5 gallon Marineland Portrait tanks for some bettas. Question is - I will be starting all 3 up next week. I have 3 pouches of Fluval Biomax (1.5 oz) that have been in my HOB filter for the last year and did the original cycle on my larger tank. So, if I chunk the charcoal thing that comes in the Marineland built in filter compartment and replace with the BioMax balls, will this give my tank a cycle for 1 betta bioload. My plan was to fill the new tanks with Primed water, wait a day and put recommended Tetra Safestart just to help and put the Fluval BioMax in the internal filter in each tank - hoping it would kind of precycle for the bioload and then add fish a day or two later. Will this work? There may be a plant or two (not sure) that may go from my established tank to one or two of the new ones - but basically all the substrate, decorations, plants, etc will be new.

Will this work or is my mind off kilter?

Thanks!!!!!!

 

Okay, yes I got MTS bad and ordered 3 x 5 gallon Marineland Portrait tanks for some bettas. Question is - I will be starting all 3 up next week. I have 3 pouches of Fluval Biomax (1.5 oz) that have been in my HOB filter for the last year and did the original cycle on my larger tank. So, if I chunk the charcoal thing that comes in the Marineland built in filter compartment and replace with the BioMax balls, will this give my tank a cycle for 1 betta bioload. My plan was to fill the new tanks with Primed water, wait a day and put recommended Tetra Safestart just to help and put the Fluval BioMax in the internal filter in each tank - hoping it would kind of precycle for the bioload and then add fish a day or two later. Will this work? There may be a plant or two (not sure) that may go from my established tank to one or two of the new ones - but basically all the substrate, decorations, plants, etc will be new.

Will this work or is my mind off kilter?

Thanks!!!!!!

It should work. Just watch out for a small mini cycle that would be easily taken care of with water changes.

 

Yes, it should help jumpstart the cycle quite a bit. Anything with BB on it.

 

This is called seeding your tank. Taking the adding cycled media to the 5 gallons will basically “instantly cycle” the tanks. They should be good to go from the start with the media. Do you have other media in your HOB? Don’t want you to kill your cycle

 

This is called seeding your tank. Taking the adding cycled media to the 5 gallons will basically “instantly cycle” the tanks. They should be good to go from the start with the media. Do you have other media in your HOB? Don’t want you to kill your cycle

Thanks! Yes, I actually have another filter on the 36 gallon. I added an external cannister filter (Fluval 307) around the beginning of March (2 months ago). I kept the HOB filter going as well while the bacteria built up in my cannister. Keep both going just to aid in water cleaning and surface agitation and I keep the CO2 diffuser under the HOB intake. So, actually what I was thinking is replacing the 3 fluval pouches with SOME of the Bio rings in the cannister and kind of splitting what I have in the cannister filter between the two. Guess I could also kind of split where I take them from - 2 bags from the HOB (leaving one older one) and fill a bag or panty hose with some from the cannister filter. Hoping for tank not crashing - sure dont want to have to go through that again - hahaha. Guess my bathroom is going to look like a chemistry lab (keep the test stuff in there) since I will need to be full water testing on all 4 tanks for awhile ....Thanks again!

It should work. Just watch out for a small mini cycle that would be easily taken care of with water changes.

Thanks! With this small of I tank - kind of figured I would be doing a lot of little water changes for the start up and even going forward. Thought they would be bigger in my minds eye for some reason - but, better than a cup for the betta. Some of the plants I will be probably use as transfers are some runners from Vals that I got from you Stargirl - yes, they are still growing strong and healthy. Thanks!

 

Okay, yes I got MTS bad and ordered 3 x 5 gallon Marineland Portrait tanks for some bettas. Question is - I will be starting all 3 up next week. I have 3 pouches of Fluval Biomax (1.5 oz) that have been in my HOB filter for the last year and did the original cycle on my larger tank. So, if I chunk the charcoal thing that comes in the Marineland built in filter compartment and replace with the BioMax balls, will this give my tank a cycle for 1 betta bioload. My plan was to fill the new tanks with Primed water, wait a day and put recommended Tetra Safestart just to help and put the Fluval BioMax in the internal filter in each tank - hoping it would kind of precycle for the bioload and then add fish a day or two later. Will this work? There may be a plant or two (not sure) that may go from my established tank to one or two of the new ones - but basically all the substrate, decorations, plants, etc will be new.

Will this work or is my mind off kilter?

Thanks!!!!!!

I don't think there will be a material impact to using Tetra SafeStart. The established biomedia would already add plenty of nitrifiers, and Tetra SafeStart probably would only contribute negligibly. Even something like FritzZyme TurboStart 700 would probably also not really do all that much more. Specifically in a situation like this where you are adding quite a bit to a small tank.

I would recommend doing a simple test of the cycle regardless, to see where you are at. Very simple - dose 1ppm ammonia, and if both ammonia and nitrite read zero within 24 hours later, then you have instantly cycled the tank and no need to worry. If ammonia did decrease but not to zero within 24 hours, then you have only seeded the tank but not instantly cycle it. If there is absolutely no change in ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, then that's a concern that we can address. So yeah, doing this test can be helpful in determining where to go next.