Cycling -- With Fish :/

[n3ont3tra]

I don't think I have enough room in the back of my 29g for another filter... I could probably use media from the already existing tank though.

 

[starrynightxxi]

well, it would be the most ideal solutions, but isn't necessary, i suppose. you couldn't hang it on the side, either? or shut down one of the filters you already have? after all, if you take one filter down, yes, the bacteria in THAT one will die, but when you put it back, it will fill up again quickly enough since you'll have the other still running. alternatively, you could put one of the filters on the 29 on your new tank alongside the new filter, which will also do pretty much same thing.

 

[Griz]

How about trying this: Buy some of the floss type media that one would use in the airstone-style filters - Put it into your existing filter - Bacteria will colonize in it - Transfer it to your new filter. I think that this should work, in fact you could probably use cotton balls or something similar to accomplish the same thing and both filters should have room for it.

 

[andywg]

the water that you sucked out with a gravel vacume would be full of bacteria.
*of course thats on top of the regular cloneing, I should have done that when I cloned my tank.

It won't have a great deal of bacteria as the bacterial colony requires surface area to live on. I have seen it estimated that less than 1% of the bacteria colony will be found free swimming in the water. The only reason to utilise old water is if it is markedly different from the tap water. So long as the temperature and pH are pretty close there is no need at all to use old water. All you would be doing is adding nitrates to a new tank (essentially polluting a clena new tank).

Moving over the filter media is all that is required to clone a tank.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Ok, I sould be alright then. I'm on a sort of vacation so when I get home, I'll order the new filter and see if it fits. If not I'll run it in the new tank with a little bit of fish food in there and if I can I'll put some of the old filter stuff in there. Thanks a lot for all the help.