# How long does it take to cycle a filter/Best way?



## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Hello,

I picked up a tank with an aquaclear 70 filter without any media. I recently bought some media and will have to cycle this filter before I stick fish into the tank. I have another fully cycled tank. Would the best way to cycle this filter be to put this filter into the other tank and run it along with the other filter? Or would it be better to stick a bag of bioballs into half of the other filter and then transfer them to the ac70? Also, how long will it take for the bacteria to transfer/build up in the media?


----------



## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Swap some of the seeded filter media into the aquaclear, and run it simultaneously in the tank for a week or two since you don't have new fish in the new tank. It'll reduce the time it takes dramatically and you won't have to worry about a mini cycle from removing the media from the established filter this way.

If you're in a rush, or get impatient, buying Stability or Cycle will speed it up considerably too.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Very good response, effox - that should work well.


----------



## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

My other filter is a penguin 350 biowheel so instead of swappable filter media it has those filter pads. For the meantime I've put some bioballs behind those filter pads inside the penguin 350, would that work? or should I try to put one of the pads in the ac70?


----------



## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

If they are physically touching each other, it'll spread bacteria quicker, so swapping media would be your best bet.

You could try squeezing the filter pads onto the aquaclear's new media. It'll release some beneficial bacteria, doing that would speed it up too.


----------



## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

Put one of the 350 filter pads into the AC 70, along with some of the bio-balls that have been in the 350 for at least a while - that should at least give the AC 70 a good start. And as effox says, swap some media too, if you can - that would be even better.


----------

