Cycling

[Guest sourmilknightmares]

I'll be getting my new 40 gallon tank soon and I'd like to try a fishless cycle with it because that just seems to be the best for the fish. Thing is I tend to be a wee bit impatient. So I came up with this idea but I don't know whether or not it would work.

I have a 2 gallon betta tank with an UGF. It's been going for about 8 months now and the little female betta I have in it is really healthy, never been sick for a day in her life. I could put a small sponge in her tank and let it collect some good bacteria. After it had been in her tank a while and I hate the 40 gallon cleaned and set up could I then take the sponge and put it in the 40 gallon to speed up the cycling process? Would it actually help any?

Also, how much ammonia should I use when I'm doing a fishless cylce?

[Guest Ira]

Just get some Biospira and your tank will cycle in 24 hours

[HappyGoldfish]

The sponge idea would help. You could also remove some of the gravel from your betta tank and put it in your new tank and that would help seed it as well.

How much ammonia you use depends on what grade of ammonia you're using and how many gallons your tank actually holds. I raise the ammonia level to 5ppm, then add however much it took to achieve that daily until the nitrites show, then reduce daily ammonia additions to half of the original dose until nitrites are gone.

[Guest sourmilknightmares]

Thank you very much for your reply. That little bit helps a lot!