cloning a tank

[One_Trick_Pony]

hey i have read that by running the filter form my new tank on my existing one i can in effect clone the first one , and seed the filter of the new tank with bacteria and avoid having to cycle the new one.

my new tank is a juwul tnak with a built in filter is there any way i can still do this? perhaspe by flosting the filter media in teh existing tnak for a while??

it is oner of the mulit stage mechnial ones with svereal differant grades of foam etc in the filter?

any help would be magic!

OTP

 

[GSD]

put the fliter media of the existing tank into the new tank and there you go fast cycling!

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

yeah but i will still need it in teh eixisting tnak!

 

[The-Wolf]

syphon out some water from tank A (existing one)
take out filter media from tank A and rinse in bucket
put media back in tank A
take new media from tank B (juwel) and rinse in dirty water
put new media back in tank B
pour a quater to half the dirty water into tank B
fill and run powerehead.
hey presto instant cloned tank.

you may want to (if useing gravel) use half the existing gravel in the new tank, (if different colour/grain, place in astocking and leave ontop of the new gravel for 48hrs) thus transfering a lot more bacteria

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

thats great wolf u are a star!!! the new tank is somewhat bigger tehnexistng will it still work ok???

 

[The-Wolf]

yes provided you don't overload the system, that is to say don't fill the tank with the stock limit straight away. go for the same limit or slightly less than you have now and slowly build up the new tank to the max level.

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

that fab wolf thank you!"

 

[CFC]

Actually thats not exactly cloning a tank and you will still need to cycle as all you have done is seeded the media, it speeds things up but there wont be enough bacteria to completely avoid it.

Heres how to clone the tank.

Take one of the old blue sponges from your juwel filter and replace it with a brand new one, the bacteria will quickly colonise the new sponge and the tank wont suffer from its loss.
Take the old sponge and sandwich it between two sponges or whatever media you are using in the new filter. Conect the filter up to the tank and set it running immiedietly.
Take a large handfull of substrate from the old tank and mix it with the substrate in the new tank.
Add a/some fish to keep the bacteria alive and then stock slowly adding a small number of fish (or a single one if you are going with larger fish) every two weeks or so.

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

ok thaxn cfc, and thanx wolf as well that has made thigsn much easier!