# Fast Cycle...



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

I aquired a 90 gallon tank about a week ago. I have a 6500 gal pond with 9 adult koi which spawned in June. My problem is that I have 50 babies in a 20 gallon aquarium right now that desperately need to move into the 90 gallon tank. I used tap water to fill the tank and added some bacteria that I use on the pond to get it started. I put 4 baby koi in it. It's not fast enough. I'm just starting to get some ammonia readings. 

Should I empty the tank and fill it with pond water? The pond is in perfect water condition. If I do that, can I put the 50 babies into the tank or will I have to wait for something magic to happen?


----------



## IslandRzrbk (Aug 14, 2011)

Ok, well the first problem is the lack of cycling, you need to cycle the tank in order to create a stable eco system. As any post on this forum will tell you this may take up to 6 weeks to occur, especially in larger systems. However, it sounds like you're in a situation that you don't have 6 weeks in order to really set the tank up. 

The problem I think will be this, even if you take the perfect pond water and put it in the 90 gallon tank, the tank will still be an isolated and closed system which means that as ammonia and nitrogen begin to build up in the tank there's no place for it to go unless the bacteria are mature enough in the tank to start to digest it. 

If you're really in a rush I would take substrate from the bottom of the pond and use it in the tank, then fill it with pond water. You will still need a filtration system on the tank, I think, but I would also leave the top open to allow more surface area of the water exposure to air hopefully this will recreate the pond environment and slow down the build up of toxins. 

I have some family that raise platies and guppies recreationally in Hawaii and all their tanks are set up with essentially pond water and have no lids on them and are exposed to sunlight and are just like little mini ponds. 

I'm no expert, so just let me know what you think.


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

Yes, I think the best thing I can do is switch out the tank water to pond water. I do have great filtration on the tank and for my pond. I should have done that in the first place. I originally used pond water in the 20 gallon tank when I put the little babies in and it went well. The nitrates in the 20 gallon tank are high and I'm doing 25% water changes twice a day in that tank.


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

The water isn't going to have very much bacteria in it. The tank will still have to cycle. If you don't want to use any of the substrate from the pond, Take some media out of the pond filter and put it into the tank filter.


----------



## sion342 (Jul 31, 2011)

Weiss Organics Bacter Boost
Marc Weiss
Starting at: $13.40 

Cycle your aquarium in only two days with this amazing formula! Bacter Boost delivers concentrated biological bacteria to establish valuable colonies and quickly create an environment safe for all types of organisms. For established tanks, this outstanding product breaks down solid and soluble wastes, improving the overall environment.
Hope this help you.


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

Thank you for your responses. I have filled the big tank with pond water and put filter media in the filter and have seeded with live pond bacteria in a bottle. I feel confident that this will work.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

sion342 said:


> Weiss Organics Bacter Boost
> Marc Weiss
> Starting at: $13.40
> 
> ...


BS! DON'T believe everything you read!!! It may be what the product claims, but anyone with even a little experience will tell you none of this stuff works like this. You can't populate your tank with beneficial bacteria from a bottle - it just doesn't happen.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

baeya said:


> Thank you for your responses. I have filled the big tank with pond water and put filter media in the filter and have seeded with live pond bacteria in a bottle. I feel confident that this will work.


You did about all you could do. Hopefully it works out for you as quickly as you need.


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

I've had my pond for 8 years and never had clear water until this summer. My koi never died, but I never got to see them. This summer I joined a pond forum and learned a lot. I built a DIY Skippy filter and seeded it with Microbe Lift Pl Filter Media Bacteria Gel and the pond was crystal clear by 7 days. I'm not selling this stuff or even recomending it, but something I did worked.  Then my koi spawned......must have been happy! Now I have these babies to deal with until Spring. 
I'm going to wait a couple days and check the levels of the tank. If the levels are good, then I will put all the babies in over a 6 or 7 day period. My ponds levels are all zero and I'm sure I have plenty of bacteria in my Skippy DIY filter. 

Thanks for everyone who replied to my post. I will update as things develope.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

How big are all these babies?


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

The babies are between 3/4" and 2 1/2". I have approx. 50 in a tank in my house and approx. 50 more in the pond. The ones in my house eat right from my fingers. They are so cute. I will be selling them in the Spring.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I hope you have bigger tanks. I just don't see them doing too well in a 90g without a lot of maintenance. Even with the size they are now. Maybe it will workout though.


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

I will keep a close eye on the levels. Our local pond/fish store said I can bring him some if I need to. I think my filtration is pretty good, but I'm willing to buy much bigger, if needed.....


----------



## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

With that many fish I think you will need to do 50% water changes every 3 days, if not daily.


----------



## baeya (Oct 2, 2011)

The tank is cycling. I have readings in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. I did a 25% water change yesterday...
Will be doing another test and water change tonight after work. Fish seem fine. I think there are around 35 fish instead of the original 50 that I thought I had, which is a bit of a relief actually. I was going to try and net some out of the pond, but will let them winter over in the pond instead and try to get them out in the Spring.


----------



## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Sounds like you are close. Let us know how it goes.


----------

