# 4 Gallon Fluval View



## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

I went to a petsmart for an adoption even(volunteer) and ended up buying a fish tank. yeah, i know, but it was an insane deal. 19 dollars, with tax, for a 75 dollar fish tank. apparently they had a sale(50%), and then someone decided to put it on clearance(another 50%), so i couldnt pass up the deal. 
i already own a mature 36 gallon fish tank(need to update its profile) and it is going fine... could i use its filter media to cycle the tank, in addition to the bottle of Nutrafin Cycle that came with the tank? i dont really know how this works, or how long i have to wait(the bottle says just three doses and its fish ready... never trust the label.). any help would be appreciated, whether for the cycle or tips on everything else. ill post some pics when its got the water and gravel in, maybe even turn this thread into a journal for the tank.


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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Assault0137 said:


> I went to a petsmart for an adoption even(volunteer) and ended up buying a fish tank. yeah, i know, but it was an insane deal. 19 dollars, with tax, for a 75 dollar fish tank. apparently they had a sale(50%), and then someone decided to put it on clearance(another 50%), so i couldnt pass up the deal.
> i already own a mature 36 gallon fish tank(need to update its profile) and it is going fine... could i use its filter media to cycle the tank, in addition to the bottle of Nutrafin Cycle that came with the tank? i dont really know how this works, or how long i have to wait(the bottle says just three doses and its fish ready... never trust the label.). any help would be appreciated, whether for the cycle or tips on everything else. ill post some pics when its got the water and gravel in, maybe even turn this thread into a journal for the tank.


Yes the filter media will help jump start the cycle. Set up your new tank with substrate, decorations and maybe live plants, conditioned water, filter media and stock lightly. Not sure about cycle in a bottle. With media and light stock you won't need it. Maybe add a decoration from your old tank as it will have beneficial bacteria on it also.


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## KPainter (Jun 12, 2012)

How are you going to stock it? Any ideas yet?


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

If you are going to do a fish less cycle you are going to need some form of ammonia to feed the bacteria you will be adding from the mature filter media and the bacteria in a bottle. If you plan to just add those items and then stock it I would add very few fish from the beginning and monitor the water. Not much that you can put into a 4 gallon tank other then a Betta or maybe some shrimp.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

I have put one of my goldfish into the tank so it can poop to its hearts content, and then I will remove it in a day. I put the beneficial bacteria into the water(nutrafin in-the-bottle stuff) and it says only to do three doses, one a day, and then it's fish ready. I will do the three, then wait a couple days after that, then introduce some ghost shrimp and a female Betta. Ghost shrimp first, so the betta doesn't think it's her tank.
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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Oh yeah, I put in a rock from my pond that is covered in algae, so hopefully it has some good bacteria on it.
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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Heh, have an update. My brother dared me I couldn't do 30 pushuPs with my feet up on the couch, and I did it. He now owes me a female Betta from petsmart 
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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

The goldfish i out of the tank, and back in the pond where he belongs. his new name is Ammonia 
in three to four days i should have pictures of the betta and shrimp in the tank.... in the meantime, ill upload some pics of the empty tank.


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## pennyls9332 (Aug 24, 2013)

it sounds like a fun little project


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

The water is turning milky... It wasn't milky before I took the goldfish out... Is the milky stuff ammonia or nitrites or nitrates? No fish in the tank right now, not until this weekend. That's my deadline, kinda, or else I have to wait till the next weekend. The only timei have time to go to petsmart is the adoption events. Right before It turned milky I put alot of fish food pellets into the filter compartment, for the bacteria to eat... Was that what did it?
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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Assault0137 said:


> The water is turning milky... It wasn't milky before I took the goldfish out... Is the milky stuff ammonia or nitrites or nitrates? No fish in the tank right now, not until this weekend. That's my deadline, kinda, or else I have to wait till the next weekend. The only timei have time to go to petsmart is the adoption events. Right before It turned milky I put alot of fish food pellets into the filter compartment, for the bacteria to eat... Was that what did it?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


The milky fog ,IME, means your tank has cycled. Take fish food out and change 50% water just before you add your fish . You need to keep an ammonia source(fish food) until you get your fish(ammonia source).


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## Boredomb (Feb 21, 2011)

I would just test it first to be sure there is the presents of nitrates. The milky water could be a couple of things in this case. It could be from the food or even from all the bacteria you added to the tank. Either way mashallsea is right it needs a ammonia source to keep it going.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Boredomb said:


> I would just test it first to be sure there is the presents of nitrates. The milky water could be a couple of things in this case. It could be from the food or even from all the bacteria you added to the tank. Either way mashallsea is right it needs a ammonia source to keep it going.


maybe ill put a little fish food in a filter media bag, and hang that in the middle of the tank, but not that much so it doesnt bloom like that again.i had added what was left of the goldfish food that i took to the tank, prob about 30 pellets. last night i took as much out as i could, so the remainder of fish food will see them through until i get home tonight.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Aight, put the last dose of bacteria in, but here was still another capful so I will add that tomorrow. Sadly, I do not have a test kit, so I won't know If is is safe. I guess I will bring a sample to the adoption event and have petsmart do a water check for me.
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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

I COULD put in one of my tropical fish... It's steady at 78 day and 77 night... look at my tank profile and reccomend a fish to put in, or reccomend that I dont put any in. The smallest is the longfin tetra thingy, can't remeber the exact name
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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

If you have an established tank just put some of the established media from the filter into your new tank and you have a cycled tank.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Didn't you say it was cycled because of the foggy water? I'm just trying to keep the bacteria alive
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## marshallsea (Apr 30, 2012)

Boredomb said:


> I would just test it first to be sure there is the presents of nitrates. The milky water could be a couple of things in this case. It could be from the food or even from all the bacteria you added to the tank. Either way mashallsea is right it needs a ammonia source to keep it going.


Correct. Never assume, always test.


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

I am hanging fish food by the net, so it won't get stuck in crevices. Thank you all for the help, and if you have any other tips they will be greatly appreciated. Saturday is fish day,
So expect some pics . Ima try and get a green female Betta.
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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

alright, heres what i got
A greenish blue regular female betta,
A brown female crowntail, with red fins,
And seven ghost shrimp. i ordered five, but the lady didnt bother to put the right amount in. more for me!


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## Aqua Hound (Sep 22, 2013)

Ahhh yes the ol nitrogen cycle! I agree with all the posts on this topic of whether or not your tank has cycled and how to go ahead and start the growth of the beneficial bacteria. I like the idea of using the established filter media to jump start the tank with already established bacteria. Make sure you have some source of ammonia to keep the cycle going and go out and get a nice test kit for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You pretty much have to for this cycle cuz it's one of those things where we are dealing with microscopic bacteria. Kinda tough to see with our eye balls what's goin on in there  Here is a video I did on the nitrogen cycle if you would like to view it, but it sounds like you got this tank rolling very nicely! Best of Luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhBHxzV1jqI


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## Assault0137 (May 2, 2012)

Thanks dude!
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