When will my tank be cycled?

Question

assuming I bought a used established tank (with filter, airstone, heater, substrate, snails, etc) that was drained right before I got there, and I've been fishless cycling ever since, how long should it take until I can add fish safely?

Answer 1

If the filter has not been dried out or cleaned too thoroughly then it will safe to add some fish right away.

The longer you leave it with no source of ammonia (fish or something else) then the less cycle you will actually have.

If you aren't sure then start a full fishless cycle. If the filter still contains a good number of bacteria then you will see the ammonia fall and the nitrate rise almost immediately ( a couple of days anyway)

If the ammonia level doesn't fall, then you dont have a working cycle, so you need to carry on with the cycling process untill it's established.

Ian

Answer 2

I would say you are ready to go. The cycling process is to grow beneficial bacteria to handle the fishes waste that break down to ammonia which is the bacteria’s food source. Thus making it into nitrates, which in low amounts are harmless. You already have them. I would add few fish at a time.  

Answer 3

Well seeing as all the water was drained out, it's going to take a while. The actual time depends on the size of your tank. Hopefully, you kept the used filter media in instead of changing it like most people. That's because the filter is where almost all of the beneficial bacteria grow. If you could say how many gallons your tank is, I can tell you how long it needs to cycle.

Answer 4

Starting from scratch would take as long as 6 weeks, but if you have an established tank it will be much faster. The key is to maintain as much of the bacteria as possible. If the tank is drained and everything is moved dry most of the bacteria will die and the cycle will probably take about a month. If you want to preserve the bacteria it takes more planning. The filter cartridge, substrate, and as much of the decor as possible should be moved in buckets of tank water. This way the bacteria will survive, cutting the cycling time down to about a week, maybe even less. Be sure to test the ammonia and nitrite levels often and wait until they are at 0 before adding any fish.  

Answer 5

perhaps in 2 weeks time. add a couple of fish(danio is good not goldfish!!!). then check your ammonia/nitrite levels. ir they are ZERO, you can add other fish, else try again in another week's time.