Hey all.

Recently I decided to set my old 55g up again for Angelfish fry. However, it's been broken down & sitting in the garage for about a month, so I'd need to re-cycle it.

I've had a lot of success in the past cycling tanks by using old cycled media, substrate, and water. Along those lines, I'm using something new that you might want to try yourselves.

This tank is going to be a bare-bottom fry tank, so I didn't want to use the old substrate. It'd be too hard to scoop out after the cycle. Apart from the seeded sponge filter, I really had nothing to work with...until I thought of this. I think it'll be handy for those cycling a bare-bottom tank - or possibly a brand new tank if you're using substrate from another tank to help cycle that you don't want to mix with the new tank's substrate.

So I had this old crappy seeded gravel in the 55g...


I scooped it out and poured a big pile on an old T-shirt...


Then I tied up the corners tight...


So Now I have a Cycle Bag I can drop into the tank as it cycles - and remove it when the cycle is complete. Not a bad idea, huh?

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how about a mesh bag or an old pair of tights/stockings, yours or your wifes ... this would let water through easier and perhaps having the filter outlet pointing at it for the same reason?

if am cycling a new or bare bottomed tank i just use tank water from another tank/s and old, but active, filter material. if i am filling a large filter i take enough filter material from my existing filters, a bit from each and then top these up with new filter material.

i havent done nitrite/ammonia tests but this method has always worked for me ok so far, touch bogwood.

I totaly agree with the paw tights or stockings are far much better to use as the paw states "Water flow", but it might just work

How about feeding the outlet of a powerhead, into the bag, so you get an outward flow from the center ?