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Keeping the Cycle Going
By britsteiner from the britsteiner department, Section Diaries Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 01:04:51 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

I'm thinking about consolidating all of my guppies into my large tank, and I'm wondering how the small tank would fare when empty.

In my 10 gal hex, I have a handful of fry wandering around who are now large enough to make their way in the big tank with the rest of the fish. (I've already transferred most of the males from the batch over already and they're doign fine.)

It took forever for me to get the little tank balanced out (ok so maybe it just felt like forever), and I'm now wondering what will happen when I remove all of the fry from the small tank. Reading up on the cycling of tanks, I'm understanding that without the fish waste material to supply the cycle, the bacteria will starve and I'll need to restart the tank all over again (possibly seeded from the large tank to jump start it.)

So, I'm wondering if anyone else has experience on the amount of time I can let it sit empty, but have the bacteria still at reasonably functional levels when I put new fish into it.

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Keeping the Cycle Going | 1 comment (1 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Keeping the Cycle Going (none / 0) (#1)
by New Guppy Momma on Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 06:56:18 PM PST

Only a couple days at the longest. The bacteria will "starve" in just a day or two without a constant food source. I would leave maybe a half dozen fry in the tank and keep it that way. Make sure they are all males and you can have a pretty tank of flowing tails. The tank will then be cycles to that amount of fish and when needed or wanted you can add one or two fish at a time and wait til the cycle is re-established or replace a couple of the fish with the same amount of fish you are removing. Example if you have 6 1 1/2 inch guppies and want to add 2 2 inch mollies(or whatever) you need to remove 4 inches of fish or at least 3 of the guppies. Or if adding more male guppies to the tank start by adding them as fry if possible. Fry add less strain on the bacteria and so the cycle grows with them and doesn't get all out of sorts. I know Unc has lectured on this a few times. Especially about how fry are the easiest way to cycle a tank. The cycle just grows with them.
Before all else fails....do a 25% water change ;)

Keeping the Cycle Going | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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