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I recently got a used 10 gallon tank. I also received the power filter, heater, decorations and some of the gravel that was in the tank. The tank was unused and dry for about 4 months. How will this affect cycling? are there any issues that I need to deal with? I know the tank used to have a large comet who moved into an outdoor pond.

Also, I have a cory that lives in a 1 gallon bowl (I know, I made a mistake. ) I really want to move him into the tank but I don't want him to die. Is it better to leave him in the bowl and wait for 2 weeks or move him sooner?

Last edited by cowch at 10-Sep-2005 15:32

Last edited by cowch at 10-Sep-2005 15:32

If the tank has been dry for 4 months, you'll be starting from scratch when it comes to cycling. Bacteria start to die off after only about 24 hours without an ammonia source (i.e., fish) and couldn't survive the drying process.

Do you have a plan for cycling your tank? I know you're eager to move your cory, but corys don't tend to handle cycling well, so you should probably find some other fish to do it for you or do a fishless cycle using pure ammonia.

A couple of shortcuts:

If you know someone with a tank that's currently in operation and fully cycled, and you can get them to give you one of their "dirty" filter pads -- that is, one that's been in the filter in their tank for a couple of weeks and that you take directly from their filter and put directly into yours (without allowing it to dry out) it will circumvent the cycling process.

Also, there are also bacterial starters (specifically, BioSpira) that will get the job done quite quickly; you add it simultaneously with the fish. But it's the only starter I've ever tried that really, really works, and be forewarned: it's very expensive. It's also sort of cheating -- many people feel beginners should avoid them because learning about the cycling process first-hand is important to becoming a good fishkeeper.

Here's a link on cycling:

http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp

Just as an aside: I'd urge you to consider eventually getting more corys (that is, after your tank is fully cycled); they tend to do best in groups -- a half dozen or so is ideal. Depending on the species, you ought to be able to keep five or six corys in a 10-gallon tank if you don't add any other fish. And you won't believe how cute and funny they are when they're in a group.

Ugh, I should have done a bit more research before I started my aquarium. Right now I have 6 neons in my tank. They were my plan for cycling. But now, I also have two guppies that were rescued from my friend's tiger barbs. My cory is in the bowl and I want to get more once the tank is cycled. How many will fit with out overcrowding the tank?

What species of Corydoras is it? Some of them will fit nicely in a ten gallon tank, while others fairly large and need more space. Corydoras aeneus and C. paleatus are the two most common species, and are also the two largest at about three inches apiece.

If those guppies are a male/female pair, then you're going to have many more guppies in the near future. You'll have to figure out what you want to do with them.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Keep an eye on the neons -- they aren't necessarily the best fish for cycling, either. Can your friend with the tiger barbs give you some used filter material?

I think the cory is a C. Napoensis but I do not know for sure.

I'm not sure what part of the filter I would switch. There aren't any sponges or anything like that. There is a filter pad with carbon in it.

I don't mind leaving the cory in the bowl until the tank is cycled as long as he will survive. He has lived in it for about 2 weeks already. My main concern right now is if three cories will survive in the tank with the tetras and guppies once the cycle is complete. I know I will be tempted to overcrowd and I need someone to tell me not to.

Last edited by cowch at 10-Sep-2005 23:19

I just thought of something. I have a small world filter in my bowl. It is for a 2 to 5 gallon tank or something. It have been in there with my cory for about 2 weeks. If I moved it into the 10 gallon would it speed up the cycling? Should I move my cory immediatelly if I do that?

Depends. Have you run any tests of the water in the bowl? Theoretically, that would be cycling, too. If there's no ammonia, no nitrites, and the nitrates are nice and low (under 25) then you can probably just keep doing what you're doing.

If you don't own a testing kit, then you should be able to take a sample of the water to a fish store to have it tested. Most places do it for free. Preferably the shop should use a liquid test kit, because these are more accurate than the paper strips.
If the bowl has already cycled and you move the filter onto the ten gallon tank, then go ahead and move the Corydoras as well. The extra filter will help with the cycling process.

If you can get a picture of your cory onto an image hosting site and link to it here, someone will be able to i.d. it for you.

Last edited by sirbooks at 11-Sep-2005 18:06

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."