Started (Nov. 6th DAY 1)

(DAY 1)I had a fish auction to go to in one week so i filled my 40 gal cube with water . Added heater, air pump, etc.

(DAY2)The next day when it was up to temp. I took 2 very very very dirty filter cartridges from another tank i have(55g) and threw them in there alone with 100 small feeder comets who i had plans for! Also added some mopani driftwood that i boiled each piece for a hr be for going into the tank to remove tannins.(any days after adding the wood, the water was slightly brown but not bad at all from the rest of the tannins.)

(DAY 3&4)Next I did 5 gal water changes on my 55 and also vac. the gravel inside the tank. I took 5 gal out of the cube tank and dumped the DIRTY DIRTY water ,from the 55, inside the 40gal tank.

(Day 5)I took the filter cartridges out because the goldfish picked them clean. Then fed the gold fish some food. About 1/4 of the feeders are gone from the tank and were fed to my oscars and snapping turtles.

THIS IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL AND ONLY BENEFITED THE TANK MORE!!! I HAVE STARTED A 70 GAL. BEFORE FOR MY FRIEND WITH OUT DOING THIS. THAT WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO AND HE STILL HAS THE SAME TANK RUNNING TO THIS DAY WITH THE SAME FISH!!!! ***(ONLY THE PART IN (LETTERS) IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT)***

(Day 6) I did the same as I did on days 3&4. +(I HAD THE SAME CANNISTER FILTER ON BOTH TANKS SO I SWITCHED THE BASES ON THEM WHICH HELPED RUN THE NEW AQUARIUM WATER THROUGH SOME VERY BENEFICIAL BACTERIA!!!) Only about half the feeders remain(others were food).

*******(DAY 7)*******(JUDGMENT DAY)*******(NOVEMBER 13th)***
I came home from the auction with 16 angel fish, 2 bushy nose plecos, 4 spotted self cloning crayfish, a 6ft jungle val plant that i trimmed, a anubias barteri plant, and a java fern mat. REMINDER** ALL OF THIS WAS GOING INTO THE 40gal. MOST OF THE ANGLES WERE QUARTER SIZE.*** Some would say that this is too much on a tank to add all of these fish at once, especially a new tank!! Took all of the gold fish out and split them between the turtles and oscars. Acclimated the fish normally and put them in. Now it was the waiting game!!!!

TODAY ON NOVEMBER 20th(a week later) Only two angels died, one wasn't looking so good at first, and the other was a albino angel that i knew one of the crayfish grabbed cause I saw the crayfish eating it and it was still alive when it was being eaten. All the other fish are healthy, eating, and very lively!

*TRY THIS PROCESS FOR YOUR SELF IT HAS WORKED MANY TIMES FOR ME*
ASK QUESTIONS IF NEED BE!!

Let us know in about 6 months how things are going.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I know the tank is cycled i have been in the hobby for 9 years and i know all the little signs that lead to problems!!!

Welcome to the board. Now. On to the important things. Where are the PICTURES! :D

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100 Dirt + Stuff. To be Angel baby tank.
37 Planted. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f45/pla...nal-20774.html
29 Tall community tank. 5+ Years up and running.
15 Soon to be RCS tank.

I'm not saying it won't work, I just want to know how its doing 6 months from now. I have been keeping fish for 30 years and haven't cycled a tank in more than 25 of those years.

__________________
SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Understandable ill definatly keep you updated.....I've learned from my uncles who have had a fish buisness for 52 years !!!

I remain skeptical but optimistic.

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Lead me not to temptation...I can make it there myself just fine, thank you

I am with kehy on this one, skeptical but optimistic

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I do mine the easy way. I know how I am about buying more tanks so I always keep extra filters going in established tanks and always have extra plants so when I put the filters and things into the tank its instantly cycled. I don't usually put so many fish in at once though as most of my tanks are species tanks.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

I take it you have tested the water? That is the only way of knowing if the tank has cycled. Water from an established tank does very little, by the way. Using a used filter on a new tank is nothing new.

Surprised you haven't lost more fish. A lot of fish to be putting into a new tank at once, cycled or not. Also, 14 Angels in a 40g tank? I would read up on Angels. You have a little while to get rid of some, but in 6-8 months, if they even grow properly with that kind of overcrowding, it will interesting to see.

Test you tank for ammonia and nitrite. If it comes back as 0ppm on each then I'll believe it is cycled.

I agree that's a lot of fish for a 40g tank. But it does sound like you do the same sort of process as susan to eliminate the cycling process

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"Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn".-- Benjamin Franklin

Pics updates and test results,lol.

^List of what I wanna see haha

I keep filters in other tanks too,because I have species only tanks as well.This way ill be ready for fry or any emergency finds I have rescues and what not.

Oh yeah and welcome to the forum!

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

I like that you're using feeder fish to cycle and although I can't say I agree with intentionally poisoning them with a fish-in cycle, in the end they ended up being eaten so it works out in my mind.

I'm sad you lost the one angel. IMO, one fish death is one too many. I would have done a fishless cycle and prevented any losses.

Overall, great work, albeit it's kinda like dynamite fishing or using an oil slick to cut waves (cheap, dirty, but very effective solutions, IMO).

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

Sorry haven't been able to post pics....they will be up soon I work in a retail store so I have been super busy. so far everything else is fine with the tank....did a nice water change on it and all the fish are doin fine....only tested ammonia and nitrates and nitrites and I did a water change and they went to where they were supposed to be.

I pretty much do this with every tank Ive set up and have experienced no loss as I can recall, and I also do the same as susan with the filters, with some gravel as well. here is a half shot of the 55 I set up about a month or so ago doing this. I keep Dwarf Puffers in here and they have spawned for me(no survivors, I was not expecting) so they are obviously comfortable and thriving.

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55 Gallon Planted dirt bottom,Reproducing colony of Heterandria Formosa(Least Killifish), 2 Dwarf Puffers, 5 or so Gambusia, 2 Swamp darters???, Several Wild P. Latipinna(Sailfin Mollies), a handful of Jordanella Floridae(American Flagfish), 1 Lepomis Macrochirus(Bluegill fry)

In my tanks I use live plants to prevent the dangerous parameter spikes.

my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden