# How to cycle 5 gal.



## BeccaBx3 (Sep 21, 2011)

I have a five gal tank for a hospital and quarantine. I can't get it to cycle. did 3 weeks fishless with just plants and some food in there. even used old filter media from my big tank. the nitrates and nitrites are completely maxed out. idk what to do. put fish in there and was doing every other day changes. lost two fish in a week. moved them all early to my big tank because i didnt want to lose any more and my big tank is cycled. any tips on how to get it ready? and keep it ready for my next batch of new fish or for a hospital if needed?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Is the tank filtered? You used food to do it fishless? That is the most unpredictable method. 

If ammonia is now gone and nitrites are high then the tank is prgressing normally. How long has it been since you started? A nitrogen cycle can take well over two months to complete. The smaller the tank, the more difficult to get it to cycle. The bigger problem is small tanks like that aren't really good for fish - period. Yes, you can get away with a couple of small ones or one Betta but when it comes down to it, it is a very delicate process that keeps that tank safe. There just isn't enough square inches for the bacteria to live and since the more bb you have the better, you never really reach that point with such a small tank. 

I think if you started out fishless you should have kept it that way before you allowed fish to enter into water that already had high levels of toxins. If you couldn't wait for fish you would have been better off doing a fish "in" cycle. 

Just keep doing as you are. Or, remove fish and let the tank cycle without water changes.


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## BeccaBx3 (Sep 21, 2011)

I removed the fish and am doing it fishless. I only want to keep it cycled for when i get new fish for a few weeks at a time. or if a fish gets sick.I don't want to just put a sick fish into an uncycled tank and doom them to death for sure. It is filtered. Has a small drop in filter and a small one that spins with the flow of the water (bio wheel?) there is no crud in either, no bacteria or anything that I can see. So I am waiting to see what happens next. I lost three fish and moved the rest so I would not lose them. ( i need to edit my signature because those fish that were in the 5 gal have been in my 55 gal for a few weeks now). Anyway I will keep plugging along and see what I can do. It seems to be more hastle than it is worth. if I can get it cycled I would like to use it for fry but they are doing fine in a breeder haning on my big tank for now. almost big enough for the main tank I think.


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## Tolak (Mar 10, 2013)

Run the 5 gallon filter on a stocked & running tank. If/when you need it put it on the 5 gallon tank. The filter media is what cycles, the tank is just a glass box.


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## colmanh (Jul 10, 2013)

Tolak said:


> Run the 5 gallon filter on a stocked & running tank. If/when you need it put it on the 5 gallon tank. The filter media is what cycles, the tank is just a glass box.


I completely agree with Tolak. If you put your filter into a cycled tank, (takes about three or so weeks), the nitrifying bacteria will grow into the filter, and as Tolak says, once you add that to your QT it will more or less instantly cycle. 

Keep in mind though, when I add a cycled filter to an uncycled tank ill tend to clean the gravel off one of my cycled tanks and add a bit of the gunk. This will have poop and stuff in it which will produce ammonia and will continue to keep the bacteria alive in your filter until you add the fish.


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## BeccaBx3 (Sep 21, 2011)

ah ok.. i will pull it and cycle it in my big tank. and when i am ready to add fish to the small its instant cycle. makes sense to me. thanks


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If you would never have more than one fish in then keeping it cycled may not be a necessity. Cycled is preferred of course, but the one fish may never cause ammonia to rise to any concerning levels before you were to remove the fish.


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