Cycle time?

[Innisfree]

After successfully setting up my own tank, I thought it would be fun to set up a small tank for my girlfriend's son. My tank is a two-gallon tank that was up and running with visible algae growth in only a few weeks. For him, I got a smaller one-gallon tank. It has been cycling now since right after Christmas and still no visible algae. Only a small patch of biofilm on the surface. I even used some water from my tank in an attempt to speed up the process. Am I just being impatient?

[Vorteil]

I think it will be fine. It's been maybe 3 months since you've set it up. Let's see what others think.

[SuperProofer]

My 1/2 gal jar took about 3 months before I saw any algae. I put a small bit of water from my ecosphere in there and it sat in front of an open window every day, but still took that long. Think it just varies. But better to wait a little longer and be sure than take the chance with the shrimpies.

[Nellyville41]

Your tank should be ready. Even though there’s no visible algae, your shrimps and snails will feed on the biofilm and microorganisms that you can’t see. Same thing happened to me. My 2 tanks didn’t have any visible algae. Infact the first one since thanksgiving still doesn’t but the shrimps are fine and healthy. The 2nd tank eventually developed algae specs all along the walls.

[Varanus]

After so long it should indeed be ready, but if you want to encourage visible algae growth then one option is to take the top of the tank off so the water has more access to algae spores.

[SGTSHEW]

After successfully setting up my own tank, I thought it would be fun to set up a small tank for my girlfriend's son. My tank is a two-gallon tank that was up and running with visible algae growth in only a few weeks. For him, I got a smaller one-gallon tank. It has been cycling now since right after Christmas and still no visible algae. Only a small patch of biofilm on the surface. I even used some water from my tank in an attempt to speed up the process. Am I just being impatient?

It took about two weeks for my 10 gallon to start patching with algae. What kind of light are you using?

[Innisfree]

The tank has an led light mounted on it and it gets plenty of indirect sunlight during the day.

[Innisfree]

After so long it should indeed be ready, but if you want to encourage visible algae growth then one option is to take the top of the tank off so the water has more access to algae spores.

I just remembered that her son has a HEPA filter in his room. Could that be delaying the process by removing algae spores from the air?

[Super Jess]

That's a really interesting idea. I don't know, but one thing you could try is transferring an algae-covered item from your tank to the new one. And throw in a few of your snails if you have some.

[Innisfree]

Sounds like a good idea. I will try that next.

[Mustafa]

The tank should be more than ready by now...it *is* very strange that you have no algae growth though. Have the temps been really low in that room?