Is Seeding And Cloning A Tank The Same Thing?
- Thread starter Durbkat
- Start date
Hi Durbkat 
Yes and no.
I use the term cloning to mean taking enough beneficial bacteria from one tank and starting another one that is ready and able to support fish immediately.
I use the term seeding to mean taking some beneficial bacteria and putting it into another tank to start a colony of bacteria. It would imply moving less filter material and just sort of giving the cycling process a bit of a jump start. Then you could either cycle with a few fish, or do a fishless cycle using ammonia.
Yes and no.
I use the term cloning to mean taking enough beneficial bacteria from one tank and starting another one that is ready and able to support fish immediately.
I use the term seeding to mean taking some beneficial bacteria and putting it into another tank to start a colony of bacteria. It would imply moving less filter material and just sort of giving the cycling process a bit of a jump start. Then you could either cycle with a few fish, or do a fishless cycle using ammonia.
So can I?
some fish. Not a full stock though. You could do a full stock if your willing to do daily partial water changes. If you have no fish in the tank I'd suggest a cloned fishless cycle. Or rather a seeded fishless cycle.
Hi Durbkat,
It might seem a little confusing because this is not an exact science and is harder to explain than it is to do.
If you were to move everything from your 20 gallon long (filter, sand, plants, etc.) into the big tank, it would still have just the right amount of beneficial bacteria to support the fish that were in that tank, or other fish that have an equal bioload. But, by gradually adding more fish, the amount of beneficial bacteria will grow to accommodate them. If you do it slowly, you will have no problems at all.
Or, you could do it with your 10 gallon tank. It's smaller, and would take longer, but the principle is the same.
If you only take part of the filter material, you will only have part of the beneficial bacteria. In that case, you could still add some fish, but not very many to begin with. You would have to add them slowly and it would take longer for the beneficial bacteria to catch up. Just try to judge the proportions as best you can.
And please don't feel bad about asking this question until you are comfortable that you understand what to do.
It might seem a little confusing because this is not an exact science and is harder to explain than it is to do.
If you were to move everything from your 20 gallon long (filter, sand, plants, etc.) into the big tank, it would still have just the right amount of beneficial bacteria to support the fish that were in that tank, or other fish that have an equal bioload. But, by gradually adding more fish, the amount of beneficial bacteria will grow to accommodate them. If you do it slowly, you will have no problems at all.
Or, you could do it with your 10 gallon tank. It's smaller, and would take longer, but the principle is the same.
If you only take part of the filter material, you will only have part of the beneficial bacteria. In that case, you could still add some fish, but not very many to begin with. You would have to add them slowly and it would take longer for the beneficial bacteria to catch up. Just try to judge the proportions as best you can.
And please don't feel bad about asking this question until you are comfortable that you understand what to do.
Inchworm is on the money with this not being an exact science, and often being harder to explain than to do.
Let's take your 20 long as a good example. If each tetra counts for 10% of the bio load, that gives you 80% with all eight together, in that tank. If the plec counts as the rest, 20%, that adds up to 100%, in your 20 long.
If it's a bigger plec, it may be 40% of yor bioload, making each tetra 7.5%. No matter what, the fish in your cycled 20 long will add up to 100%, no matter how much or little of the bio load they are.
Each fish is using it's percentage of the filter media in the tank. If it's a bigger plec, using 40%, you can move the plec & 40% of the cycled filter media from your 20 long to another tank. Smaller plec, go with 20% of the media.
The non-exact part is figuring how much of the bio load on the cycled filter each fish is. It would be easy if we were just talking about the eight tetras, which are probably around the same size. You could take half of them, & half the cycled filter media, add them to a new tank, & be just fine, or two & 1/4 of the cycled media.
It gets a little tougher when you have a situation like yours, with 8 smaller fish & 1 larger one. You have to more or less eyeball the fish, & try to estimate how much of a percentage the fish you plan on moving are out of the cycled tank they are in.
Once again, being non-exact there is room for error. If you figure the plec at 40% of the bioload when it is actually 30%, move 40% of the media & the plec into another tank, the 20 long with the 8 tetras will be fine.
Same goes if you figure the plec at 20% when it is actually 30%, move 20% of the media & the plec to the new tank. Since it is well matured cycled media it will grow quickly to make up for the difference.
HTH, and like Inchworm said, keep asking until we figure out a way to explain it correctly.
Tolak
Let's take your 20 long as a good example. If each tetra counts for 10% of the bio load, that gives you 80% with all eight together, in that tank. If the plec counts as the rest, 20%, that adds up to 100%, in your 20 long.
If it's a bigger plec, it may be 40% of yor bioload, making each tetra 7.5%. No matter what, the fish in your cycled 20 long will add up to 100%, no matter how much or little of the bio load they are.
Each fish is using it's percentage of the filter media in the tank. If it's a bigger plec, using 40%, you can move the plec & 40% of the cycled filter media from your 20 long to another tank. Smaller plec, go with 20% of the media.
The non-exact part is figuring how much of the bio load on the cycled filter each fish is. It would be easy if we were just talking about the eight tetras, which are probably around the same size. You could take half of them, & half the cycled filter media, add them to a new tank, & be just fine, or two & 1/4 of the cycled media.
It gets a little tougher when you have a situation like yours, with 8 smaller fish & 1 larger one. You have to more or less eyeball the fish, & try to estimate how much of a percentage the fish you plan on moving are out of the cycled tank they are in.
Once again, being non-exact there is room for error. If you figure the plec at 40% of the bioload when it is actually 30%, move 40% of the media & the plec into another tank, the 20 long with the 8 tetras will be fine.
Same goes if you figure the plec at 20% when it is actually 30%, move 20% of the media & the plec to the new tank. Since it is well matured cycled media it will grow quickly to make up for the difference.
HTH, and like Inchworm said, keep asking until we figure out a way to explain it correctly.
Tolak
I got the tank today and I got a great deal on it. I got the tank, filter, heater, and hood and light for only $180! But i have a question about the heater that came with it. It is a marineland heater but it says for 20-40 gallon tanks. Will it be powerful enough? If not how much higher should I set it so it heats the tank to 78 degrees?
I have the same heater in a 55, it works fine. http
/www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_dualtemp.asp
Mine is set around half way between those 2 points & holds the tank at 82F. Best way to check is with a thermometer, never trust the temperature stamped on the top of heaters.
Tolak
/www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_dualtemp.aspMine is set around half way between those 2 points & holds the tank at 82F. Best way to check is with a thermometer, never trust the temperature stamped on the top of heaters.
Tolak
If you are planning on some angels & a plec it should be ok. It says it will do up to a 75 gallon tank.
I'm probably the wrong person to ask about filters, I overfilter most every tank I have. I'm sure you already know what kind of mess plecs can make. I would add a powerhead with a pre-filter to the bottom of the tank some time in the future. This will keep the plec waste off the bottom where it can be caught by the 350.
The advantage to that particular filter is that it takes 2 pads, one on each side. If you want to change pads, you can change one of them, wait a couple weeks, & change the other.
There is a 72 gallon tank where I work that has that filter, along with a magnum canister. It has a 14" plec, a few tetras, 2 iridescent sharks, & a clown loach. The fat plec decorates the bottom, I'm trying to talk the owner's son, whose office the tank is in, to drop in a powerhead.
Tolak
I'm probably the wrong person to ask about filters, I overfilter most every tank I have. I'm sure you already know what kind of mess plecs can make. I would add a powerhead with a pre-filter to the bottom of the tank some time in the future. This will keep the plec waste off the bottom where it can be caught by the 350.
The advantage to that particular filter is that it takes 2 pads, one on each side. If you want to change pads, you can change one of them, wait a couple weeks, & change the other.
There is a 72 gallon tank where I work that has that filter, along with a magnum canister. It has a 14" plec, a few tetras, 2 iridescent sharks, & a clown loach. The fat plec decorates the bottom, I'm trying to talk the owner's son, whose office the tank is in, to drop in a powerhead.
Tolak
Do angels like strong currents because even though I don't have the tank up and running the filter looks like its going to be a powerful one? Also you know how the filter has that thing in the middle of the tube and it has a blue handle on it? What is it for?
Anyone?
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