cycling new tank

Question
Hi April,
My sister bought a new 50 gal tank and wants to try a fishless cycle using ammonia.  She read that it will cycle better if she places an old filter, gravel, etc. from a cycled tank that she trusts. If I send her an old filter from my tank, will the bacteria survive being shipped from PA to GA through regular snail mail?
Thank you for your expertise.

Answer
Hi Pat,

First, bravo to your sister on the fishless cycle!

I have an even better way that will save you both a lot of time and money.  Ammonia can be over-dosed and can be messy to keep up with to use for a fishless cycle.  You could speed mail a small container of gravel, and/or filter media, and as long as it was completely submerged in water from the tank (it has to stay wet in tank water to be effective and tap water will kill the bacteria you are trying to harvest).  The bad part with this is that the post office usually won't accept 'liquid' packages and even a small container of gravel can be heavy and shipping this 2 day UPS or Fed-Ex could be costly.

The most inexpensive, hassle free way would be for her to set up the tank as if she is about to add fish, add water, conditioning drops, let the filter run, turn on the heater, add gravel, plants and decos and finally add two jumbo raw cocktail shrimps tied in clean pantyhose (so they don't break up in the water).  She should also get a liquid drop test kit and monitor the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.  When she has 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5-20 ppm nitrate then she is cycled.  She can remove the shrimp bag and toss it, do a 25% water change and she's ready to add new fish, slowly.  Add 2-3 new, let them adjust, let the bioload adjust and in a week add 2-3 more.  Repeat until stocked.  

The raw shrimp should get the job done in about two weeks.

Good luck : ) April M.