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can i take some substrate from a cycled coldwater aquarium with goldfish to spike (kick start the cycle)in my 10 g tropical aquarium?

Well the substrate when you move it will have bacteria all over their surface. This will help in seeding the tank, as you will be adding an established bacterial colony to a place where there is none. If you do this, you must have an ammonia source in the new tank, or the bacterial colony you transferred will begin to die of starvation.

If you add a few fish at a time, it is possible to have ammonia readings remaining at 0ppm. and by adding a few fish at a time you allow the bacterial colony to slowly grow to consume the excess ammonia and nitrites. On the other hand by adding alot of fish, you will have ammonia build-up as the bacterial colony you added is insufficiently small to consume the ammonia produced. It will catch up but it may take a few days during which you are exposing fish to higher levels of ammonia.

Another method to adding ammonia is to use a dead prawn, or crayfish, from your supermarket. the decaying of the prawn will produce tons of ammonia to feed the bacterial colony, and once ammonia reading reach 0ppm you can add fish. Or you can simple dose pure ammonia (found as a cleaner in most supermarkets, make sur there aren't any other additives, the liquid should be clear.

So I recommend seeding the tank by transferring gravel or filter media from an established tank, but know that you must then nurture the bacterial colony, and not let it die off.

Yes, you can add some substrate & filter media from an established tank, to cycle your 10 gal. tank.


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