Filter water

If someone who has a cycled tanks sqeezes some of there filter water in to cup and transfer it to a new aquarium will this create a cycle?

 

how big a tank and how dirty is the water your moving over?

but assuming stable tanks... no, unlikely. just a risk of transferring unwanted parasites or disease...

 

I'd try something like NitroBac by Red Sea - it works really well IME.

 

but wouldn't u be transferring helpful bacteria as well?

 

I would recommend grabbing some sand or a chunk of rock, bacteria likes substrate and while some is in the water column most resides on a structure.

 

You can also use old filter pads from an established tank to get some bacteria going in the new tank.

~Will.

 

You really want a cup of live sand or some rock to get the anaerobic bacteria. A foam filter sponge or dirty water is a start but contains only part of the bacteria needed for a jump start.

 

Plus, this will transfer some of the bacteria, but you still need a food source. Ammonia, then nitrite. Just the bacteria wont do this. You'll need something to start the Cycle, something decaying, or fish poop etc...