# Help getting tank going ASAP



## GiSWiG (Oct 1, 2012)

I've got a 65g tank. I have had water in it for two days just as a leak test as the tank has not been used in 23 years.

After doing my research, I've come up with this process to get started. I've read about fishless and using SafeStart and I THINK this might work:
1 - Fill tank with new water, use Seachem's Prime to dechlorinate and nullify ammonia, etc. Get filter and heater running and wait a day to reach 80-ish degrees. 
2 - Use Tetra SafeStart, put fish in
3 - 24hrs - test the water for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, etc. Water change if needbe

Another thought for #2 is to add the SafeStart, wait a bit, add ammonia and test after 24hrs. Similar to the fishless cycle of adding ammonia and testing it after 24hrs for 0ppm before putting fish in which would be right after the test. Then monitor nitrites for needed water change.

One question on the water change... I used a water hose from outside to fill the tank. This is obviously untreated, cold water which is the exact same thing as my tap water. Should I have, say 10 5g buckets of treated with Prime, room temp. water ready to go? That is a lot of space and the only spot would be the basement which might be around 60-65 degrees although winter is approaching.

Thoughts?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

GiSWiG said:


> 1 - Use Tetra SafeStart, put fish in
> 2 - Another thought is to add the SafeStart, wait a bit, add ammonia and test after 24hrs.
> 3 - Should I have, say 10 5g buckets of treated with Prime, room temp. water ready to go?


Two problems, and one comment:
1. While a bottle of TSS says you can do this, in my years of experience with TSS it is an aid to a traditional cycle, not the wonder product it touts itself as.

2. This, in my opinion and experience, is even more backwards than your first statement. Putting TSS in without an existing source of ammonia will starve the bacteria and kill them off before you've even had a chance to add the ammonia. I've used TSS on about ten different tanks over the course of three years, and I swear by the stuff, but not as an instant-cycling product.

3. You don't need to. I know many people on this forum that use pythons for their water changes and add tap water directly to the tank, and treat the tank with dechlorinator (Prime) from there.

In closing, I don't think there is a way to make things go fast with a cycle. But, with TSS, some dirty filter media and/or used gravel and structures, and a good ammonia source, you *can* cycle in as little as ten days.

Hope this helps, and sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

I agree with Guy here, rushing a cycle isn't the way you really want to go about this, a normal fresh cycle without any used filter media/substrate with a bacterial suppliment can take a few weeks. I would suggest getting used filter media, and used substrate to help seed the bacteria and add the bacteria suppliments, add ammonia and wait. Thats about all you can do without putting fish in and having to deal with daily Water chages to kee the fish from dying.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you refer to the sticky on a fishless cycle, I would just go that way. I put in my last two experiences in the setup portion of the thread. Both have worked out nearly identical with the tanks being cycled in about 10days. It is doubtful that any bacteria product could speed it sooner than that. It doesn't hurt anything however. I've never used them but different people claim different experiences.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

GOLDIE; the way I see it if you move everything(especially filter) it would be just like 50% water change.Possibly some junk will be stirred up for day or two but should be NO BIG DEAL!


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

hahaha I just put athread up , im getting in a real muddle tonight
Thanks Coral bandit, i feel i can do this now yayyyy
Now i'm going to be quiet lolshhhhhh


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Ha Ha back! Nobodies shorts should be in bind! Your question regards your tanks cycle;I believe a forum is a type of discussion/conversation and your question seemed on track! By the way; congrats to your fish and their new kingdom!NICE!


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Goldie - the water is not cycled, so there's no need to move it. The filter and the tank are cycled. Move the filter to dechlorinated or treated water, and you are laughing. 
The water is just water with wastes in it. It's nothing special, and better in the garden than in a new tank.


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## GiSWiG (Oct 1, 2012)

Yeah, I always kept leaning toward doing the whole cycle. I was thinking the TSS would be used to supplement the process, not replace, hence my idea of adding ammonia after TSS and test. In theory, the TSS in the tank should 'eat' the ammonia. 

I have heard of the pythons but have not seen one. My tap and outside faucet would be the same temp regardless. My tank is around the corner from a straight shot out my door, down the steps and to the ditch. I was just going to use a siphon hand-squeeze pump and run the water out the door. Then I just connect the same hose to the outside faucet and fill the tank back up. 

So the cold water is not a huge deal? Should I then stick to 25% changes? Also, do I add the dechlorinator before or after adding the water?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

if using prime I believe you add to tank prior to new water,but be aware you need to add enough prime to treat entire aquarium volume.Possibly figured by hoakey math =adding aprox 15 g of 60f water to 45g of 75f water only drops tank total temp 3.5f.(aprox.)The total amount of prime would be 1.2 capfuls/6ml for 65 g aquarium


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## GiSWiG (Oct 1, 2012)

I put 6ml in after filling it up and used a medicine dropper as 'capfull' is not exactly accurate.


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## GiSWiG (Oct 1, 2012)

I'm just going to use the fishless cycle from the sticky on this forum. Everyone doubts these quick-start methods but no one seems to doubt the ammonia cycle. And as I think about it, how can these products colonize my bio-filter in a flash?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

GiSWiG said:


> And as I think about it, how can these products colonize my bio-filter in a flash?


In a word, they don't.

The bacteria-in-a-bottle products contain heterotrophic bacteria, which is essentially a short-lived, free-floating bacteria. Autotrophic bacteria are what eventually take over your tank, and can adhere to surfaces, particularly in your filter. The objective of TSS is to seed your tank with heterotrophs which will take the brunt of the ammonia generated while the autotrophs take their time and set up shop in your filter, substrate, etc.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT add TSS until AFTER you have put your ammonia source in! Otherwise, the bacteria will starve and die. The procedure I use is - add source of ammonia, test until I get a healthy concentration of ammonia, add TSS, and continue testing daily until the cycle is established, THEN add fish. Even with TSS, you will see a short-lived cycle (a.k.a. a mini cycle).


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