Starting a new 250 litre

[ZEROPILOT]

Can you use some of your grandmother's filter media?
A chunk of established foam or a few bio balls, etc. And place them in your new filter.

 

[jonny23]

Ya I could do that if it would help its running three days now with her water and stream water all seems to be going grand

 

[jonny23]

Will put up start to finish pictures at the weekend

 

[jonny23]

Its dimensions are 150cm x 100 x 50cm thats approx 5' x 3'3" x 20" deep can anyone tell me how many gallons are in it?

 

[Nick83]

Its dimensions are 150cm x 100 x 50cm thats approx 5' x 3'3" x 20" deep can anyone tell me how many gallons are in it?

Around 200 gallons(+/-)

5x3x2=30cu.ft x7cu.ft =210gallons if my math is correct.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Its built and cycling at the moment got water from another pond 1/4 filled it then filled the rest with fast flowing water from a stream, buying two fantails that are already housed outdoors so will be no major shock to them

Sorry, but a pond will not cycle without fish or some other source of Ammonia. Any nitrifying bacteria that may have been in the other pond water has ceased growth. Your pond has gone through Zero cycling.

 

[IPA]

I am doing a fishless cycle and it's painfully slow; likely faster than a fish-in cycle but once you start you are committed for at least a month or longer. I am not sure if any fancy goldfish are recommended for a new pond or tank cycle but on the other hand you don't want to get a different type just to cycle and then what?
I've had 3 comet body goldfish, started with 5, 2 lost to predator, had babies and both that grew to adulthood were lost to disease. I cycled my 60 gallon with the initial 5 and they did okay through it; I won't say great because they kept jumping out at every opportunity and I don't know why they did this.
I think you'd be okay (for a few years) with 3 comets or shubunkins, single tailed, or any combination of them but eventually they would outgrow the pond. The good news is you can start planning years in advance on needing it.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

but once you start you are committed for at least a month or longer.

I can't imagine why it would take this long to do a fishless cycle with the current temperatures. I would expect maybe 4 weeks.....MAX!

 

[IPA]

I can't imagine why it would take this long to do a fishless cycle with the current temperatures. I would expect maybe 4 weeks.....MAX!

The ammonia was added on 9/16, nitrite was detected on 9/29 at .5 in the am. and then between .1 to .5 by the pm. Figure 2 weeks from 9/29 I hopefully see nitrite at 0.

Since I have such a small fish load when done I've just been dosing at .75 ammonia a day once the ammonia hit 0 and keeps showing 0 tested every 12 hours.

I test and dose ammonia in the am and pm, whatever I've dosed does not register on the next test for ammonia.

 

[jonny23]

Of course you can do a fishless cycle I have done a fishless cycle for all my tanks, I have swamped about 5 bioballs with my grans filter and have been adding fish flakes everyday but I will now do it every second day.
so it will definitely increase cycling rate no fish will be added till the levels are consistant

 

[jonny23]

Will be uploading progress photos only two I have on my laptop atm

 

[jonny23]

Filter bottom

 

[j.w]

@jonny23 It's beginning to look a lot like Fishmas

 

[Magzire]

If you live near Dublin, check out seahorseaquariums. Best store i came across for fish and supplies.

 

[jonny23]

I think I have all the supplies I need I have a pump and filter with a uv light which has a fountain on it but I am a fan of waterfalls so the back of the pond I am going to add a small waterfall which will trickle into the pond. I have 5 plants which I think is loads for such a small pond. I have added tap safe even though no tap water was used to be on the safe side. Filter start was added to the filter I am using along with bio balls from my grans established pond. The water went green for 2 days but it is going back clear again.