I just cloned my 55g yesterday and put the fish from my 20g into it and they are all doing great. For those of you that doesn't know what cloning a tank means, it means that you either take the filter and some gravel from the old tank and put it in the new one or you take some gravel and some filter media from the other tank and put it in the new one.
Have You Ever Cloned One Of Your Tanks?
- Thread starter Durbkat
- Start date
prankster705
trolololol
Yiu forgot to add I haven't cloned yet on the second poll!!! No i haven't done it as I only have 1 tank and it has been the only one till now... will do it with any future tanks as I know how the process goes...
smithrc
My names Russell.... ....and I'm a
All of our tanks have been 'cloned' from others..
What is the point of cycling a new tank if you have a mature one you can use to mature the filter??
What is the point of cycling a new tank if you have a mature one you can use to mature the filter??
prankster705
trolololol
^^There isn't...
Yes, all of my tanks are cloned from on another. Never had any troubles or fish loss with it.
I've cloned multiple tanks starting with a 10 gallon with a cycled sponge filter. The original sponge filter cycled in a 29 with a pair of angels. I pulled a spawn, and added the cycled sponge filter to the 10 gallon they hatched in once the fry were swimmers.
After a few weeks, the fry went into a 20 with the sponge filter, a second new sponge filter, and a small ac mini hob. After 3 more weeks half the fry, one sponge filter and half the hob media went into a second 20 with a second ac mini. We now have 2 20's with an ac mini & a sponge filter on each. Add a second sponge filter to each tank.
A few weeks later, half the growing fry from each 20 go into another 20, with one of the sponge filters & half the media from the hob. 4 20 gallon tanks, each with an ac mini, and a sponge filter, around 75 small but growing angels in each. 80 gallons isn't enough for growing angels to sellable size, so more sponge filters get added to tanks.
A few weeks later, 2 sponge filters go into a 55, along with some of the media from the hob filters going into a couple of homemade powerhead filters. The faster growing angels go into here, as they are sold, some of the larger ones growing in the 20's replace them. The best looking ones go into a second 55 that has been running for years, future breeders, or adult fish to be sold.
At this point there are enough cycled filters with mature media that if I run into a great deal I can fill a spare tank, drop in a heater & filter with cycled media, and put the fish in for quar. Never had a problem doing this, at this point I don't even bother with water tests unless the behavior of the fish tells me something isn't right.
I did check some fish losses in your poll. In any breeding situation, you are going to have some losses, as long as it is 10% or less, you are doing fine with angels. Any other situation, I have had no losses. This is usually setting up a tank for a pair or pairing situation. Fill a tank, set up the appropriate filter & heater, and add fish.
I recently upgraded 3 of the 20's to 29's. Drain some water, catch the fish, and put them in a bucket with a heater & airstone. Drain the tank, disassemble related equipment, pull the 20. Put the 29 in it's place, fill, add filter, heater, & fish. No losses.
After a few weeks, the fry went into a 20 with the sponge filter, a second new sponge filter, and a small ac mini hob. After 3 more weeks half the fry, one sponge filter and half the hob media went into a second 20 with a second ac mini. We now have 2 20's with an ac mini & a sponge filter on each. Add a second sponge filter to each tank.
A few weeks later, half the growing fry from each 20 go into another 20, with one of the sponge filters & half the media from the hob. 4 20 gallon tanks, each with an ac mini, and a sponge filter, around 75 small but growing angels in each. 80 gallons isn't enough for growing angels to sellable size, so more sponge filters get added to tanks.
A few weeks later, 2 sponge filters go into a 55, along with some of the media from the hob filters going into a couple of homemade powerhead filters. The faster growing angels go into here, as they are sold, some of the larger ones growing in the 20's replace them. The best looking ones go into a second 55 that has been running for years, future breeders, or adult fish to be sold.
At this point there are enough cycled filters with mature media that if I run into a great deal I can fill a spare tank, drop in a heater & filter with cycled media, and put the fish in for quar. Never had a problem doing this, at this point I don't even bother with water tests unless the behavior of the fish tells me something isn't right.
I did check some fish losses in your poll. In any breeding situation, you are going to have some losses, as long as it is 10% or less, you are doing fine with angels. Any other situation, I have had no losses. This is usually setting up a tank for a pair or pairing situation. Fill a tank, set up the appropriate filter & heater, and add fish.
I recently upgraded 3 of the 20's to 29's. Drain some water, catch the fish, and put them in a bucket with a heater & airstone. Drain the tank, disassemble related equipment, pull the 20. Put the 29 in it's place, fill, add filter, heater, & fish. No losses.
Fishkeeper2004
Fish Addict
I have recently cloned my 180L tank, as I found out about the 'instant cycle' you can do with a mature filter media. Really is a great way, and it saves so much time. I didn't lose a single fish.
Well its there now.
Tokis-Phoenix
^_^
I've cloned most of my tanks although in the past i did cycle one or 2, but cloning is definatly the best for me and have never had any issues with it- i have some mature filters on the go right now in my current tank waiting for when i finish my kitchen floor and get my new tanks 
.
.
tenxiong
Fish Fanatic
Cloned my 65 gallon to look like my 30 gallon, looks even better on a 65 and the fish are doing great.
fishing4exotics
Fish Crazy
I put sponge filters in my wet/dry filter sump. Whenever I want to setup a new tank I take one or more of the sponge filters in my sump and start up a new tank. The sponge filters have the beneficial bacteria already. I also use water from the same 240 gallon tank to start a new tank.
fishing4exotics
Fish Crazy
Actually, if you add 100% tap water in a new tank you will kill off some if not most of the beneficial bacteria. Adding water that the filter came from will not stress the beneficial bacteria in any way. You want to preserve the bacteria as best as you can.
I find it interesting to see that so many people are cloning their tanks these days. When I first started posting about this method, people would totally ignore what I was suggesting. There were even times when I was told it would never work except to help a "fishless" or "with fish" cycle get going. It always worked for me though.
fishing4exotics
Fish Crazy
I totaly agree with you. I have been exchanging gravel, filter media, and water from established tanks for almost 30 years and people will still challenge my methodI find it interesting to see that so many people are cloning their tanks these days. When I first started posting about this method, people would totally ignore what I was suggesting. There were even times when I was told it would never work except to help a "fishless" or "with fish" cycle get going. It always worked for me though.
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