Please let me know what you guys think of these three methods! Also, go check out the description where I give specific situations these tips may come in handy!
I have poured the bottom of a canister filter into the tank (quite disgusting) and filtered through a new HOB filter and two established sponge filters. The following day vacuum and add treated water. Many years of this procedure but it's always nice to run across these videos from time to time. Thanks!
@@OtterCreekAquatics That's what Daybot said... You have to have things from an already established tank meaning it's unless for people who are starting their first tank...
I thought you were about to tell us what we can do if we can’t get a used sponge, not tell us where to get them 😅 was kind of hoping to get help with that situation. Maybe it’s just not possible or a good idea to quick start a cycle without a used sponge?
I use pool filter sand for substrate in all of my aquariums, I have 7 aquariums! 30g-120g. Pool filter sand is very heavy, clean& you can vacuum it like gravel, its so heavy, it automatically drops back to the bottom without worry of it being ducking into your filter. A 50lbs bag costed me $27 🇺🇸 that includes shipping. I am def 👍for pool filter sand as aquarium substrate. Love it so much & wanted to share! ❤❤
Yes, if you are just setting up the first aquarium you need to wait for the nitrifying bacteria to establish so it can handle the ammonia that builds up from fish food and waste.
These are good ideas and I agree with a lot of it. I think that especially with the flow of new people who want to learn to set up a tank, giving them the idea of an "instant" set up tends to moslead folks. If this is a method to set up a new aquarium when you have others, i would put that in the title, so you won't have anyone misinterpret what you mean. I work at a fish store, and get tired of getting asked about "instant" ways to set up a tank. I always answer with due diligence by reading up on it and the nitrogen cycle, and patience. Anyway, this was a well made video. Keep it up!.
While I used to disagree with adding water from an old aquarium I now agree with this method. It doesn’t hurt a thing for 1 there are already usually some nitrates in your water and second that water has been oxygenated for a while. While there may not be much BB in the water there is some and when I used the half tank water half declorinated method I found Nitrites present within a couple of days. This is not possible by just using straight faucet de chlorinated water. I’ve tested this method and it works!
Great layout on the video, I have a feeling your channel is going to take off soon. You put alot of time and thought into your videos and it's going to pay off. Keep it up bro. And yeah. Just squeeze out my dirtiest filters into new tanks with seeded sponges from established tanks.
Ah!!! I wouldn't go that far, but either way I appreciate your alls support and love the small group that we have right now! Love the hobby and love sharing my experiences!!!
Solid, easy to follow, information. Nice video. Stay yourself, don't become a clone, to grow. Thanks for the vid man. EDIT: KENDALL thanks for asking me for clarification on my comments. There is nothing in this or any of your vids that copies or clones other YTers. Your appeal, especially to experienced fish keepers like myself, is that you do your research and present it in an organized easy to understand format. You keep things real and in your own unique style. You are always open to discussion and there for the fish and the hobby. Drama free.. My comment is meant to be a compliment on that style and as an after thought, encourage and thank you not to give into to things that some of the big channels might do for clicks. Keep being yourself, like you are in this and all your vids. Peace man. (Old fart pulls foot from mouth)
You made this whole F%$$#@ process sooooooooo easy. I spent a fortune on Fritz 7, quick start and all this other junk . So glad I found your channel thank you
Great vid for beginners! Just another tip tho, get the temp in your new tank as close as you can get it to the existing tank. Bacteria are living orginasims and just like fish you don't want to temperature shock the BB!
Plants from established aquariums might also a carrier of beneficial bacteria, so instead of buying a bunch of aquatic plants online or in a petstore, trim off some of your mosses and stem plants on your already established aquarium tank and it will give you a big help.
Great video. After trying to start my 1st tank, I learned through watching videos like this. I am getting ready to start a 55G 21"Tall as a room-divider Planted scaped Community Aquarium. I have the Aqueon 30 in my established Quarantine Tank for a few months now. I have an extra inch of gravel sitting in to mix with the new tank. I also have extra Rocks, Plants, and Driftwood sitting in the Quarantine Tank. I have a few bags of Ceramic Media Rings growing in my Betta Tank and in the Quarantine Tank. I have Media Bags filled with different types of Clay, along with Fluval Red Flourite sitting in the Quarantine Tank. I am still collecting ingredients to create the Dirtier Substrate to set up both the 55G 21"Tall Community Tank and the 20G 12"T Long for my Betta. I have planned this since December 2022 when I decided to give my Betta more places hide in and to investigate. It is true about local Aquarium Clubs. I have a few that will share media and some water-change water with me.
I use substrate and sponges from my established tank but still never chance adding fish for at least 2 weeks. Not disputing your methods I'm just super careful. If it's a 10 or 20 gal. But not a 50 or 75gal.
There is zero reason to cycle a tank if you don't mind doing a few water changes. I have taken 50 gallon tanks, added 10 Discus at a cost of often nearly a thousand dollars, and put them in day old tap water. Do a daily water change of about 20 percent and you have a perfectly cycled tank in a couple of weeks. Not once in those two weeks will you ever have a test come back even close to being bad. I don't even test anymore. There is no way you will ever have an issue doing this.
@@missyy1666 Yes, depending on the size of the tank. If it's like a ten gallon tank and it's a single Betta you could easily get by with every two days, maybe three days. If it's a little half-gallon bowl I would go with a 20 percent change every day for a couple of weeks until it cycles.
in addition to any of those simply take a gallon or 3 of the water from your old tank and also add it to new tank then replace the water you took out with fresh and walla youve helped start the new one and given the old tank a pick me up which is wat i do when i need a tank fast aka quarentining a sick fish
So if I follow all the three tips you giving us can I on the top if it add Seachem beneficial bacterial to further enhance the overall effect and speed up the cycling of the tank?
Very informative/helpful video. I've done this method BUT, as mentioned, it needs seed bacteria. As much as you can get determines the success. Filters, rocks, logs/wood. Those double sponge filters are excellent. Grab a spare, swap with a dirty one and its a startup but it takes more. I also run a small HOB to move around. I found live, fast growing plants are very helpful. Hornwort, java moss, foxtail eat the nitrates put off by the nitrogen cycle. Also, the rooted plants that come in little pot with rockwool hold beneficial bacteria too!
If i take established "filter"from 20gal and put it on 50 gal can i move all fish at same time considering that the filter has enough bio already just more water volume , 50 has had squeezed sponge done and been running for a week
If you are just transferring all of your fish from your old tank (20gallon) to the new tank (50gallon) then yes that will work. If you move everything else from the 20 gallon (plants, decor. Substate) then it will make it even more safe. After you move the fish I would wait a few days to feed just so your not creating extra ammonia that any loss of bacteria you have wont be able to handle. I hope this helps!!!!
I’ve done it , I put decoration from a cycled tank , or use the filter from a cycled filter , I also used stability , the bacterial in bottle .... On 12 fish only one died .... surely some ammonia spike happened , but the beneficial bacterial did multiply so quicker that the ammonia spike lasted very shortly
Something ive been thinking about for healthy tanks could u not just take water from one tank and put it in the new just like taking out for a water change? Especially if the new tank is smaller
Awwsome video! When I establish my new tank, I take my sponge filter from a healthy cycled tank along with some of the water from that tank. I do this so it matches the water parameters and temperatures so the fresh water, that I eventually add won't kill the beneficial bacteria on my sponge. I also have ornaments that I transfer, those will give it a little boost as well. Someone posted using cycled gravel and substrates to establish new tanks, that works wonders, I get a little ocd, I filter out the detritus with a sifter using tank water before placing it in the new tank. Been working for me for years.
Need to know the same thing.! I squeezed my sponge filter into the tank and let it sit for about 20 mins before adding a cap of cleaner Bc I’m going to get my fish from petco to start. But after those 20 mins should I have turned my filter on and let my filter plus decorations and gravel get the bacteria from the sponge? Or just keep the same water and add a couple careless fish and see how they do in the water? I kind of get it but I don’t wanna put my baby Oscar in the 20 gal to make sure it’s ok for the juvenile after I breed him in the bigger tank. Just want to make sure I raise my baby Oscar the right and healthy way before moving him into a different tank plus will this 20 gallon be ok for his kids and plenty more
@@laroydaniels260 Take the sponge from a different tank/filter, put it in your new tank/filter and leave it. Don't squeeze it out thinking it will help, don't remove it after 20 minutes, just leave it.
Wait a month, when the cycle is almost done, when grey cloudy water is finally crystal clear. This video kinda shows you what can you do if you start a 2nd aquarium, instead of waiting that much you can do it almost instant using your already cycled filters ornaments plants etc..
I just started without a used sponge. I got no other viable responses. I allowed my tank to run with treated water for 3 weeks before adding a bit of leaf zone. I let that run one more week before adding plants. 2 more weeks and I added my fish. They seem to be thriving and my guppies are breeding.
I'm getting a 240l tank with axolotl already living in it, but it's a 4 hour drive and the water is gonna be out. I'm getting it with the filter and substrate - now the owner tells me I have to wait for at least 6 weeks to add the axolotl but I think it will be much more dangerous to have them quarantined for such a long time (daily water changes) what do you think? Obviously I'm gonna run it for a while and test the water. But 6 weeks seems kind of long for me to keep any animal in a plastic box even with daily care and water changes.
Would you by any chance sell one? I just bought a new tank for a future Betta fish and I’m trying to quick start it. Unfortunately the only store I have around is a pet store that doesn’t take good care of their tanks/fish, so I don’t think they even cycle their tanks water.
Another thing I do is I like to use any decor from an already established fish tank. If u have a bunch of tanks u can take a piece or two from each and boom u have bacteria spread thru out the tank as well. I also use old filter pads like u mentioned.
It all depends on how many fish you are going to be adding honestly, and what size the fish are. Also, if you do any of these methods make sure you don't feed for a few days after adding the fish to avoid any ammonia spikes
Otter Creek Aquatics let’s say the ammonia spikes happen, (which will happen bevause I forgot to clear out some algae wafers in my tank and my bettas went after them, what steps should I prepare tomorrow morning or for the coming days ahead
DANKdaHERBALIST would you use wood that would be in your tank? Would that help to cycle? I’m upgrading my tank but I have to have my guppies live somewhere until the new tank is cycling.
He explained what to do if you are just starting up, if you have a friend that has an established aquarium, ask them for some used medium....or ask your local fish store to help out.
so u can ask friends for recycled filters or sponges or can ask a pet store for that or u can buy a new filter and ask if u can swap it out for a filter they were already using since that benefitial bacteria would alr have built up in their tanks so a new filter wouldn’t cause them any issues
Ive done this, i still have no fish in the tank, but after i put and squeeze the sponge in my tank, tank gets cloudy and dirty. Is this normal? Is the beneficial bacteria already in my tank? Ps: i dont have gravel, only got surface bottom tank
Oh, i just squeezed it and forgot to put the sponge in the tank, but i cut some portion of the sponge and i put it in my filter cartridge. Also, i notice some algae forming in the artificial plant. Is the tank cycled now?
If you have algae growing that is a good sign that the tank is cycled, what size tank is it, what filtration are you using, and what/how many fish are you planning to add to it? Also, do you have a water quality test kit?
Ok ill add fish now. i only small tank. Jst a beginner tank. Currently using hangon filter and an airpump. planning to have a koi fish. I want to start one only, just gonna have one at a time
Hi!first of all thank you for everything you do, I instantly subscribed! Can I ask you something? I have 2 months old fry and I need as soon as possibile a cycled tank. I recently bought a bigger tank for them ( about 38 gallons) and I always change the water to keep it clean. Yesterday I bought a dual sponge filter and today I put it in the old tank ( the parents tank). It’s a good idea? When can I put the sponger filter in the new tank? What else can i do? in the new tank I just have a mechanical filter! thank you.
The key centance i ear you say is ad a few fish ,and that really is the crucial part here.if one takes a bare aquarium and puts a floatingplant in there and one fish than that tank is cycled.if you put 20 fish in it it is not.on the other hand if you feed that one fish tons of food that it can not proces the tank wil not be cycled wereas if you dont feed that 20 fish for the first week and sifon out the waste they produce than that tank is also cycled.😊
I have an established 20 gallon and just set up a 55 gallon. The 55 gallon has some of the original substrate but a new filter. I have 8 Panda corydoras in it and am worried they’ll fall ill. I have a few plants, a moss ball, and a plant from my established tank. I will use the sponge method today.... any encouraging words or advice? The people at the fish store said it would be fine but as I’m reading online, I’m increasingly worried about them.
Yeah I did the same thing for all 10 of my tanks and I haven't had any problems. I have to do things that are 5 gallons and rest of my are 3 gallons how often should I do water changes on the smaller tanks? I'm asking because I noticed that my Bell tolls are starting to lose color and their fins. The tail looks clear. Someone laughs and looks like it melted away. Thanks for 2 years but I'm really having a hard time keeping male Bettas alive. Female bettas for some reason they don't have any problems. I am American living in Taiwan. It's a 50-50 chance if you get a healthy bettas. Which reminds me what's the best way to treat in case they may have some kind of illness. Aquarium salt bath that has Aloe for 15 minutes everyday for a week? Or maybe I should use methylene blue and do the same process? Because from what I can tell my betta sorry they're getting fin rot or the fins are getting burned from ammonia. I feed my baby does every other day. They get five to six pellets and I drop them in one time. No extra food. I don't overfeed them and I'm constantly checking the plants for any dead leaves or roots. Once a week I do water changes on alll my tanks. I use a gravel vac. Every two weeks I do a full water change. I rinse out the filter sponge old water. How do you clean out the filter using the filter rush. of course when I add water always a good dechlorinator and I and I plant food. I can't think of anything else to do that would be needed. I can get my male Bettas to live longer than 4 months. I have two females that I bought immediately when they came in and I've had them for a year. I guess that prevented them from getting sick
What if there is a sponge in a well established tank that just keeps on sinking in the tank without a filter?Can we use that sponge in our new tank to instantly cycle the new tank?
Sadly I do not have an already established tank. I just bought a new 10 gallon setup. only 1 tank. Brand new along with a brand now HOB filter that came with filter media which includes a bio bag and a gel. My betta fish is sitting in his little cup. I had no choice but to set up a brand new tank as my old tank's filter just burnt out. So the only option I have is to do a quick cycle. So I am kind of stuck with trying to find options to do a quick cycle
It depends on everything that's in the old tank. Does it have gravel, sand, decorations, drift wood, live plants? Everything in your tank will contain beneficial bacteria. So if you set up a new tank, take as much stuff from the older tank and put it in there. Even if there is a tiny bit of bacterial introduced to your new tank it will excel super quickly and from there be "cycled" for your betta
My canister pump was left with a bit of water from the previous established setup, for about 4 months. There was still some water in it when I started my new aquarium, do you think it would still work? I mean it was maybe less than half a cup of water still in the canister filter, and the aquarium is 65 gallons.
It wouldn’t work, if you unplugged your pump for 4 months the bacteria in your filter have died because they need oxygen and moving bodies of water to stay alive and cultivate.
What if I do this for shrimp (RCS)? I've just added the sponge filter gunk from an already established aquarium into a new 17G tank with a new sponge filter. I have not added any shrimp yet but was wondering when I can?? Do I have to feed the aquarium bacteria with some flake food until I add the shrimp or is the dirty sponge water enough?
The tank needs ammonia to feed the bacteria. Without any form of fish waste/ammonia the bacteria will eventually die off. It can only help if you add a little fish food to the tank so the bacteria can get the ammonia it needs to continue to grow.
Iv just acquired my sisters fish tank after her fresh water fish died. It's filter has dried out cos it's been a week can I still use the spong to get my aquarium going. I already have to aquariums on the go which I love
Do you have a local fish store? If so they will have some cycled filter media for you to use. If not the next best thing would be get some live plants and slowly feed your tank fish food as if there were fish in it. That will introduce ammonia and start your cycle
There are a number of products that will instantly cycle your tank. I used “SafeStart” from Tetra (easily found on Amazon or your pet shop) that will add bacteria and cycle your tank. You can add fish minutes after adding the product.
I’ve been using a product called Seachem Stability for awhile now. It’s worked great for me. Though it’s a little annoying having to keep purchasing every month or so. I’m afraid to stop using it for some reason though I’m sure there’s got to be enough beneficial bacteria in my tank after having my Oscar for nearly 2 years in it.
I've never used that product but I am aware of it. Do you have anything else in your Oscar tank? Substrate, Drift wood, plants, or is it just bare bottom and 2 sponge filters
Otter Creek Aquatics There’s is absolutely nothing in the tank other than the Oscar, 2 heaters, 2 sponges, and an air stone. He destroys any plants that I try and add, and I fear that adding any substrate will trap waste and other things that I cannot see. I’m not really a fan of that water vacuum thing.
I was going to say, if you have a bunch of other stuff in the tank you will have a lot of beneficial bacteria over all of it. Keep doing what you're doing if it's working, but don't be scared to take a risk
Yes, but one of the bad things about filter cartridges is the carbon inside. If you dont change it eventually it will leach stuff it had pulled out of the tank before back into the tank
If I take gravel out of my 125g established tank and put it into my new 10 gallon tank (plan on putting in about 2 inches worth) will that cycle it enough to add about 7 mollies the same day?
@@OtterCreekAquatics so you move the Aqueon 20 to the new tank when do you remove it and what is the filter that stay in the new tank thanks On the sponge filters do you squeeze them into the new tank before adding them thanks
If I am setting up a new tank with a new filter I will move the aqueon 20 over for the first week or 2 and allow the new filter to get established beneficial bacteria. When using the sponge filters I will squeeze it into the tank before I put it in. Let me know if you have any more questions.
@@OtterCreekAquatics thanks so much for your reply I watched again and I think you did mention this As always I am excited to start another tank I always use stability to start and with water changes Should I use it when starting with a seeded filter and with water changes as well TIA
quick question. i have a fluval 207 canister filter on my aquarium that has being established for about 12months . my sister wants to get a little 40lt tank going and id like to start her off so my question is can i take the sponge filter from a aqueal fan 1 filter i have and put it in to the fluval canister for a cuple of weeks to get it loaded ??? look forward to reply thanks
How do you know it was an instant filter cycle. The only way to know for sure is that you would have a good amount of nitrates not nitrites on your test strip. Free to go through a cycle your tank will be breaking down the ammonia, that turns into nitrites and then you have a good amount of nitrates that is really not harmless to your fish You won't have a reading of nitrates if you did not go through the cycle I was told this method only works if you take the sponge from one hang on the back filter and you put it in another hang on back filter I was told just putting it in the water does not work.. it might give you some beneficial bacteria but not nearly as much if you put it in the new tank filter.
It won't give you the same amount of bacteria or not enough, but once the fish get in there and start creating ammonia the bacteria will rapidly grow to compensate. The goal is to just get the starter bacteria in the tank
So my job has a fish tank, can I dip the filter into my tank at home to get that bacteria? I’m sorry I’m watching this at work with loud nap time music playing so I can’t really focus. But I want to know before I leave work lol
Yes you could do that. I would squeeze all of the filter material into your tank. Its gonna leave a mess but after a few days just vacuum out all the debris
So effectively if I have a 300L tank, and upgrade it to a 600L tank shutting down the 300L and moving all of the substrate, filter media, decor will immediately have my tank cycled provided I don't kill the bacteria living on all of it with sticking fresh tap water all over it?
Its okay for a fresh setup, but its NOT okay to add fish until the nitrogen cycle has completed. Add a little fish food every 3 or 4 days to make ammonia, so nitrite will develop & then nitrates to take over. Nitrates is where you want to be (4-8 weeks) then you just need to do maintenance & weekly eater changes 👍😃
Yes. But brackish bacteria is slightly different. As time passes the bacteria will grow that lives in a brackish tank naturally. We had to do this on our puffer tank.
Just keep it wet and you will be okay. Do not let the sponge dry out. If you are going out of tank for days, you will need to feed the bacteria. Either pure ammonia drops, or fish food will work. Do not overdose the tank with ammonia. And make sure you have agitation on the surface. Bacteria need oxygen in the water to break down the ammonia.
