Hi ya'll!

I have inspired my Mother and now she wants an aquarium. I have a spare 20 gallon that I told her she could use to get started with. The problem is is that she works full time and would not have to time to devote to frequent water changes during cycling. She works in a different county that is on eastern time (we are on central) and has to get up very early for work. So, I am wondering if what I had in mind would be possible.

I told her that I did not mind if she used the tank if she bought all the extra stuff she needed to go in it. Filter, substrate, ect. What my idea for her was that I would keep the tank here and cycle it for her. After the tank was cycled move it to her house, which by the way, is 30 miles away. Is there a way that this would be feasible? I would not be able to drive to her house everyday, gas costs too much!

Would it be best to do a fishless cycle so the fish would make it for the trip to her house?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

If you have a nicely cycled tank of your own, you can simply have her give you the filter she intends to use on her tank. Stuff the filter full of media and run it on your cycled tank for 2-4 weeks. Then, take her tank over to her, set it up, fill it and put that "seeded" filter on it. If she is doing tropical fish, she can add just a few little ones at a time. The cycle will grow to meet those fish's requirements nicely. If she is thinking of going goldie, then she should do a fishless cycle for at least a week or two after the tank is set up - to grow enough beneficial bacteria to support a goldie nicely without loads of water changes. When she is done with the fishless cycle she changes a load of water and gets a fish.

If you wanted to seed the filter, set the tank up and do the fishless cycle for her, that is also an option. When you transfer the tank, drain the water all the way - do not move a tank with anything in it - it may twist and compromise the seal. Take the filter media and bag it in a bag of used fish water that is about half full allowing the air and the water to shake around in there. You do not need to worry about saving any more of the water. The beneficial bacteria are not in the water in any amount that would help.

WEt the tank up and fill it at her house. Warm it, make sure all the conditioners, etc are in the tank and set that filter running. She can continue to feed the tank with ammonia until she is ready to get fish.

Depending on how solid a cycle you build (how much ammonia you use, etc), she may be able to get by with just using Prime for the first week or three until the tank settles out.

That sounds like a really nice thing to do! I hope she enjoys!

After all she does for me, its really the least I can do. Also, she wants an aquarium, but I don't think she wants all the work that comes with cycling. That's why I offerred to do it for her. I didn't want her to get a bunch of fish and they all die because she didn't take care of them properly. I think it would just be easier to do it here and then take it to her. That way, there is no excuse!

Thanks for the advice Daryl