Hi,

I recently put together a 12 gal tank for my new little pearlscale Weeble. I used an spare empty filter, and stuffed it full of media from my cycled filters in my big tank (rinsed them a bit in their tank water, but left some of the 'goo' on if you know what i mean)

So was my tank 'cycled' imediately?? (i.e. the mature filter media doing its job staight away)

I have done tests on the water today and have 0 ammonia and 5 nitrAtes. I do not have a nitrIte kit at the moment. But seeing as the filter media is all established mature media from a long running filter/tank is it sensible to assume that the ammo-nitrite-nitrate cycle is occuring as it should? especially as there are nitrAte readings so soon (tank has been set up with filter and fish for about 4 days)

Just thought i'd check that my resoning makes sense! Anyone know what i'm on about??
Thanks

It should be cycled immediately, but certainly have the nitrites checked for as soon as possible. Sometimes in the process of moving media people can experience a "bump" or a "hiccup" in the cycle, but if Weeble is the only one in the tank and the nitrates aren't coming from your tap water, then you sound pretty well off.

Do you have any fish in this new tank at the moment?

I am in the process of doing the same thing...I have an established 10g, and setting up a new 20g. I had an extra bag of media sitting in the 10g that I put in the 20g to help the cycle along. However, I did not transfer the fish from the 10g to the 20g as of yet. Instead, I am adding ammonia to the 20g to help get the cycle going again, and to be sure the media can properly "cycle" the ammonia the fish will produce.

It's possible that your tap water has nitrAtes and that's what the test is registering.

But again, this all depends upon if you have added your fish to the new tank or not.

yes, the fish and filter went into the tank at the same time, on saturday night (4 days ago)

i have been feeding him and seen him poop so i assume that if the established/'mature' filter media weren't working as expected then i would see some ammonia by now. Since i'm seeing nitrate (5-10, the solution got a bit darker after i typed!!) i just assume that the beneficial bacteria in the old media that i stuffed in the filter is still working like it was in the big tank.