Can i cycle a 20g with water from another tank?

Northern Sensei · 01/20/2011, 01:45 PM

I've been searching some threads and cannot find what i am looking for.

I recently picked up a beautiful folded brain and i'm noticing that it might be getting picked on by one of my dwarf angels.

I am wondering if i can use a small 20g tank that i have and just add water to it from my big 220g mixed reef?

I would not put any sand or rock in the 20g, it would strictly be a frag tank i guess, or something to that effect.

So can i just take water out of my 220 and put it into the 20g and away i go? or do i need to do the normal cycling process?

Time is a bit of an issue because the brain is big and it was BEAUTIFUL at the store....

Any help would be appreciated!!!!!!!

buy_baff · 01/20/2011, 01:52 PM

Is this tank going to be plumbed into your main system?

Harpo1966 · 01/20/2011, 04:12 PM

In my humble opinion yes you can cycle your new frag tank with water from your other tank. Will you be using any rock from your existing tank? You mentioned not interested in any sand but you could put some in a small tupperware and put it in the corner. In a nut shell the more bacteria you can get in to your new frag tank the better off you will be and the shorter the cycle will be. It may even not cycle at all.

Hope this helps

David

Monster00101 · 01/20/2011, 04:20 PM

I have done this with three tanks now. But i also used rock and biocyliders from an established reef and i have never seen a cycle at all.

m2434 · 01/20/2011, 04:40 PM

I started my 93g with 15g from my 29g and the rest fresh saltwater. I have been cycling it with lots of food dropped in daily and have tested ammonia and nitrite daily and have not really seen any a month latter. There was one day, my ammonia test kit may have showed a little color, but it was very faint at best. People say there isn't much bacteria in the water, but apparently there is enough.

seapug · 01/20/2011, 05:25 PM

Using new water and a couple rocks from another healthy tank would probably work even better.

bertoni · 01/20/2011, 10:18 PM

I wouldn't bother using water from an existing tank. What's in the new system? Some live rock might help, as was suggested.

m2434 · 01/21/2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

I wouldn't bother using water from an existing tank. What's in the new system? Some live rock might help, as was suggested.

It is most likley safer to have some established rock in the tank for filtration. I should clarify, if there is a lot of corals in the frag tank, this is a better route.

I'm curious if there is more to your statement though, but I will start a separate thread, as I don't want to hijack this one.

01/20/2011, 01:45 PM	#1
Northern Sensei Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sudbury, Canada Posts: 45	Can i cycle a 20g with water from another tank? I've been searching some threads and cannot find what i am looking for. I recently picked up a beautiful folded brain and i'm noticing that it might be getting picked on by one of my dwarf angels. I am wondering if i can use a small 20g tank that i have and just add water to it from my big 220g mixed reef? I would not put any sand or rock in the 20g, it would strictly be a frag tank i guess, or something to that effect. So can i just take water out of my 220 and put it into the 20g and away i go? or do i need to do the normal cycling process? Time is a bit of an issue because the brain is big and it was BEAUTIFUL at the store.... Any help would be appreciated!!!!!!!

01/20/2011, 01:52 PM	#2
buy_baff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,180	Is this tank going to be plumbed into your main system? __________________ 150g sps display with basement sump.

01/20/2011, 04:12 PM	#3
Harpo1966 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Motor City Posts: 74	new tank cycle In my humble opinion yes you can cycle your new frag tank with water from your other tank. Will you be using any rock from your existing tank? You mentioned not interested in any sand but you could put some in a small tupperware and put it in the corner. In a nut shell the more bacteria you can get in to your new frag tank the better off you will be and the shorter the cycle will be. It may even not cycle at all. Hope this helps David

01/20/2011, 04:20 PM	#4
Monster00101 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: alberta Posts: 858	I have done this with three tanks now. But i also used rock and biocyliders from an established reef and i have never seen a cycle at all. __________________ Piece of mind is priceless

01/20/2011, 04:40 PM	#5
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	I started my 93g with 15g from my 29g and the rest fresh saltwater. I have been cycling it with lots of food dropped in daily and have tested ammonia and nitrite daily and have not really seen any a month latter. There was one day, my ammonia test kit may have showed a little color, but it was very faint at best. People say there isn't much bacteria in the water, but apparently there is enough. __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

01/20/2011, 05:25 PM	#6
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Using new water and a couple rocks from another healthy tank would probably work even better. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

01/20/2011, 10:18 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I wouldn't bother using water from an existing tank. What's in the new system? Some live rock might help, as was suggested. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Nitrogen cycle on a new tank	travis32	New to the Hobby	3	02/18/2010 09:32 AM
cycling new tank...use water from 1st tank?	ryanpal	Reef Discussion	7	11/19/2007 03:22 PM
Starting a second tank, cycle with water from other tank.	jeeptp75	Reef Discussion	2	08/04/2006 01:35 PM
Can you avoid a cycle by mixing water from an established tank with new water?	Neowind	Reef Discussion	12	07/18/2006 02:17 PM
Cycling New Salt Water Tank	cornhusker	New to the Hobby	15	02/10/2006 10:37 PM