Would it be faster to cycle a new tank using old water?

[SaltyReefer09]

Hey guys.
Im currently setting up a new 245L tank and i wonder if i could speed up the cycling process by using water from another tank (60L approx) and also transfer the rock scaping from that tank to the new one. For the new tank i will be using dr. Tims one and only bacteria starter and caribsea live sand. As for the filtration media im thinking to get marine pure sphere.
Im hoping you guys could share your thoughts on this. Thanks

 

[GARRIGA]

Don’t know about old water but old rocks would help. Anything likely hosting benthic bacteria would speed the process. Adding One and Only would also help. Might not need to add ammonium chloride as there might be some present from the move.

I’d consider using pumice vs the more expensive spheres. Pumice is Matrix. I get mine from Orchid garden suppliers.

There's recent discussions of water containing useful bacteria. At this point I don’t know how beneficial it would be to keep that yet if I can reuse water than that’s the approach I’d use.

 

[Dburr1014]

Don’t know about old water but old rocks would help. Anything likely hosting benthic bacteria would speed the process. Adding One and Only would also help. Might not need to add ammonium chloride as there might be some present from the move.

I’d consider using pumice vs the more expensive spheres. Pumice is Matrix. I get mine from Orchid garden suppliers.

There's recent discussions of water containing useful bacteria. At this point I don’t know how beneficial it would be to keep that yet if I can reuse water than that’s the approach I’d use.

+1
Rocks will help seed new rock.
Is this remove a tank and set new where the old is? Or new tank is set and transfer everything over then remove old?
Just asking cuz the latter you can just pile the fish in also. But if the rock has to sit out for a time that might cause a mini cycle.

 

[bnord]

Agree on the limited benefit of the water - the rock, however, depending on the maturity and diversity of the donating tank, will be the key
And until I hear otherwise, would not support the Marine Pure, as my batch deteriorated @ 10 month, and coincidently or not, I spiked Aluminum to an unhealthy level, which returned to normal on cleaning them out - along with massive water changes
CaribSea sand has done well for me too, and supposed you can start to add life, including hardy corals, pretty quicky

good luck

will follow up on your pumice idea! sounds intriguing

 

[GARRIGA]

Agree on the limited benefit of the water - the rock, however, depending on the maturity and diversity of the donating tank, will be the key
And until I hear otherwise, would not support the Marine Pure, as my batch deteriorated @ 10 month, and coincidently or not, I spiked Aluminum to an unhealthy level, which returned to normal on cleaning them out - along with massive water changes
CaribSea sand has done well for me too, and supposed you can start to add life, including hardy corals, pretty quicky

good luck

will follow up on your pumice idea! sounds intriguing

Cuprizorb can remove that ammonia I’m told. Faster than large water changes too

 

[Super Fly]

Hey guys.
Im currently setting up a new 245L tank and i wonder if i could speed up the cycling process by using water from another tank (60L approx) and also transfer the rock scaping from that tank to the new one. For the new tank i will be using dr. Tims one and only bacteria starter and caribsea live sand. As for the filtration media im thinking to get marine pure sphere.
Im hoping you guys could share your thoughts on this. Thanks

the rock will absolutely help but not the old water, which is essentially just dirty water. Like others said, beneficial bacteria reside in rocks, pipes and equipment not the water.

 

[Azedenkae]

Hey guys.
Im currently setting up a new 245L tank and i wonder if i could speed up the cycling process by using water from another tank (60L approx) and also transfer the rock scaping from that tank to the new one. For the new tank i will be using dr. Tims one and only bacteria starter and caribsea live sand. As for the filtration media im thinking to get marine pure sphere.
Im hoping you guys could share your thoughts on this. Thanks

Rock yes. Dr. Tim yes. CaribSea live sand debatable. Water probably just a little bit.

MarinePure is also unnecessary if you have sufficient live rock, which most tanks do. If you do a minimal scape though, then yes MarinePure would work great.

 

[Maxcmo]

I just did this moving a 100 Gallon to a 265 gallon system and I used all new water and tried to match up the big 3 parameters CA,ALK,MG obviously temp and salinity as well then I just moved everything over 2 days later. I had some export media blocks that I bagged under water in my old sump and transferred into my new sump underwater and within two days I was producing nitrate and had 0 casualties except for an acro I bumped on a rock during the transfer.

 

[Maxcmo]

I also highly recommend rinsing out the new sand or old if your using it thoroughly forget about the bacteria in that sand you wont need it if you have enough good rock going over...

 

[SaltyReefer09]

The thing is i have to clear my apartment by the end of march and i havent got anywhere else to put the corals other than the new tank hence why i need it to cycle FAST.
My current tank is 60L with HOB filter n skimmer and it has been running since last november so i thought perhaps i could use the water from this tank. The move is goin to take more than an hour which means the rock would be dry by then. Or maybe i could cover it with sheets of paper towel to keep it moist so the bacteria wont die and become ammonia? I have a bottle of seachem amguard as an emergency. Is it safe use it during cycling?

 

[jcolliii]

Bacteria spread through the medium they live in and that surrounds them, so old water will definitely be beneficial as it is, essentially, a less concentrated bacterial product. Some old sand will be too. Bacterial products help the cycle go quickly, but not instantly. I have used Microbacter, Biospira - both make 'cycling' a new tank go quite quickly.

 

[jcolliii]

If you're just using the rock from your current tank that has only been out of water for a few hours, you'll be fine just keeping it moist with newspaper or paper towels. WIll not need to be re-inoculated.

 

[GARRIGA]

The thing is i have to clear my apartment by the end of march and i havent got anywhere else to put the corals other than the new tank hence why i need it to cycle FAST.
My current tank is 60L with HOB filter n skimmer and it has been running since last november so i thought perhaps i could use the water from this tank. The move is goin to take more than an hour which means the rock would be dry by then. Or maybe i could cover it with sheets of paper towel to keep it moist so the bacteria wont die and become ammonia? I have a bottle of seachem amguard as an emergency. Is it safe use it during cycling?

Not my area of experience doing this but it seems that corals don't need to be cycled. Reef Builders did a series on a one day build and if I recall correctly claimed in one of them that corals don't need to wait on the cycle to be complete. My reasoning to why this is correct being one doesn't need to feed their corals therefore no nitrogen introduced and the byproduct they produce from photosynthesis is consumed by the zooxanthellae.

 

[polyppal]

No the cycling bacteria is on surfaces not floating in water column. Might even cause you some bacterial blooms.

Recycled rock or filter media will drastically speed it up though

 

[SaltyReefer09]

Bacteria spread through the medium they live in and that surrounds them, so old water will definitely be beneficial as it is, essentially, a less concentrated bacterial product. Some old sand will be too. Bacterial products help the cycle go quickly, but not instantly. I have used Microbacter, Biospira - both make 'cycling' a new tank go quite quickly.

That is exactly what i thought. I thought of using the old sand too but tbh its just too much work and new sand would be better(no detritus)
Would u recommend mb7 over the one n only?

Not my area of experience doing this but it seems that corals don't need to be cycled. Reef Builders did a series on a one day build and if I recall correctly claimed in one of them that corals don't need to wait on the cycle to be complete. My reasoning to why this is correct being one doesn't need to feed their corals therefore no nitrogen introduced and the byproduct they produce from photosynthesis is consumed by the zooxanthellae.

Your correct. However my concern is that what if during the “mini” cycling process and algae breaks out?

 

[GARRIGA]

That is exactly what i thought. I thought of using the old sand too but tbh its just too much work and new sand would be better(no detritus)
Would u recommend mb7 over the one n only?

Your correct. However my concern is that what if during the “mini” cycling process and algae breaks out?

Assuming the nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates are low then wouldn't the corals consume that? A little algae is normal. Reefs aren't void of them. I don't see how excluding fish and feed would allow the algae a chance to out compete the corals.

 

[Super Fly]

The thing is i have to clear my apartment by the end of march and i havent got anywhere else to put the corals other than the new tank hence why i need it to cycle FAST.
My current tank is 60L with HOB filter n skimmer and it has been running since last november so i thought perhaps i could use the water from this tank. The move is goin to take more than an hour which means the rock would be dry by then. Or maybe i could cover it with sheets of paper towel to keep it moist so the bacteria wont die and become ammonia? I have a bottle of seachem amguard as an emergency. Is it safe use it during cycling?

there may be a mini cycle but if your old rocks are mature then all livestock should be fine in new tank after the move. When I moved houses in same town, all my livestock survived for a week in a 20G brute w live rocks, heater and powerhead while I was setting up a new larger tank. Once new tank was setup, I transferred all livestock and rocks but with new sand and everything turned out fine. Prob had a mini cycle but nothing that bothered livestock.

 

[SaltyReefer09]

there may be a mini cycle but if your old rocks are mature then all livestock should be fine in new tank after the move. When I moved houses in same town, all my livestock survived for a week in a 20G brute w live rocks, heater and powerhead while I was setting up a new larger tank. Once new tank was setup, I transferred all livestock and rocks but with new sand and everything turned out fine. Prob had a mini cycle but nothing that bothered livestock.

Glad to hear. Thats exactly my plan. Keep them in a container while the new tank is cycling(with new sand n filter media)
How long did ur water become clear after adding the new sand tho?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

The thing is i have to clear my apartment by the end of march and i havent got anywhere else to put the corals other than the new tank hence why i need it to cycle FAST.
My current tank is 60L with HOB filter n skimmer and it has been running since last november so i thought perhaps i could use the water from this tank. The move is goin to take more than an hour which means the rock would be dry by then. Or maybe i could cover it with sheets of paper towel to keep it moist so the bacteria wont die and become ammonia? I have a bottle of seachem amguard as an emergency. Is it safe use it during cycling?

It's not going to hurt anything to use some of the old water, it's just not going to add much bacteria and other good stuff... As others have stated, that is contained in your rocks, media, etc. Absolutely DO transport your rock in containers of old tank water. Whether or not you end up adding that water to the new tank is up to you.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Glad to hear. Thats exactly my plan. Keep them in a container while the new tank is cycling(with new sand n filter media)
How long did ur water become clear after adding the new sand tho?

Rinse the new sand until the water runs clear. Yes, even if it's "live sand". Otherwise, you'll be dealing with cloudy water for longer than it seems you have time for with this move.