Need All The Info You Can Give On Seeding A Tank

[Durbkat]

I will be getting a 55g tank in a couple months and getting the stand, gravel and all that stuff alittle later. So I need all the info you can give on seeding a tank.

 

[Tolak]

Buy the filter now, run it on your current tank. It will be well cycled by the time you get the new tank.

If you are getting the filter when you get the tank, remove some of the cycled media from your current tank, & add it to the new filter.

Tolak

 

[Durbkat]

Well I can't afford the filter right now. So all I do is take some of the filter media from another tank and put it in the new filter? Also how long do I have to wait before I put fish in it? Like an hour before adding fish or what? Also should I add all the fish I want in there at once? All I want to put in are 4 small angels and my common pleco from the other tank.

 

[Tolak]

You asked about seeding. This is usually done to give the filtration a jump start before doing a fishless or live fish cycling of a tank.

In theory, and in practice by my experience, you can take half the fish from a cycled tank, and half the filters or media, and add them to another tank to have a second cycled tank. I do this with bare bottomed tanks on a regular basis, if you have gravel or another substrate you will have to take this into consideration.

Tolak

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Don't add the common plec right away, they produce alot of waste and it might be too much of a bioload for a tank's bacteria colony.

 

[Durbkat]

You asked about seeding. This is usually done to give the filtration a jump start before doing a fishless or live fish cycling of a tank.

In theory, and in practice by my experience, you can take half the fish from a cycled tank, and half the filters or media, and add them to another tank to have a second cycled tank. I do this with bare bottomed tanks on a regular basis, if you have gravel or another substrate you will have to take this into consideration.

Tolak

Oh I thought seeding a tank meant that once you put the filter media from a mature tank to a new tank that the bacteria would colonize on the decor and gravel and stuff and would be ready for fish in a hour or so.

 

[MsInchworm]

Hi Durbkat

If you were to move your filter and sand or gravel from your 20 Long and put it in the 55 gallon, you could move all the fish that were in the 20 into it. Then you could add a few more fish each week.

After a while, when you get a new filter and have it running for a few weeks too, you could put the old one back on the 20 long and put your other fish back into it. It's much easier to clone a small tank from a big one than vice versa.

 

[Tolak]

By looking at the 20 gallon you have with the plec & 8 tetras, you could take half the media from that tank, put it in the new filter on the 55, & add the plec. Wait a week, & add the angels, as long as they are small.

I use non-standard media in filters all the time. I have whispers, tetras, a hartz, & some others with aqua clear sponges cut to fit. If you can squeeze the cycled media in, it will work, as long as it isn't so dense that it impedes water flow.

Tolak



Or you can do as msinchworm stated. There are often a few ways to go about setting up a new tank, now that you have one already established.

Tolak

 

[Durbkat]

By looking at the 20 gallon you have with the plec & 8 tetras, you could take half the media from that tank, put it in the new filter on the 55, & add the plec. Wait a week, & add the angels, as long as they are small.

I use non-standard media in filters all the time. I have whispers, tetras, a hartz, & some others with aqua clear sponges cut to fit. If you can squeeze the cycled media in, it will work, as long as it isn't so dense that it impedes water flow.

Tolak

But wouldn't the bacteria that isn't being used die off with only one fish in it? Or is the pleco considered mulitple fish because of how much waste it produces? After I take half the media from the 20g and put it in the 55g filter should I wait like half an hour before adding the pleco to give the bacteria a chance to spread out through the tank? Or could I use the filter that comes with the tank and take the media that comes with it and stick it in the 20g for a couple weeks and then stick it in the filter and add the pleco?

 

[Tolak]

Decent size plec produces the waste of 8 tetras in my book. If it's a small plec, use 1/3.

Tolak

 

[Durbkat]

Would you consider a 4"-5" pleco to be a small one or a medium size one?

 

[morgan]

Hi, congratulations on the tank. Had a feeling you were going to get it! I am glad you asked about seeding as I need to know too. Man in lfs said if tank is seeded wait two weeks before adding fish. According to this and other threads on the topic you need to put some fish in straight away or the bacteria dies. If I've got it right. I would say your Pleco is medium size wouldn't you? I would say mine is large but by no means full grown at 10". My husband assembled the tank and stand tonight and we are going to fill it up at end of week. Meanwhile I have two heavy bags of gravel to wash and then some plants to buy. The old tank is going to be emptied and kept as a spare. Good luck with your plans.

 

[Durbkat]

Alright I think once I seed the tank I will add my pleco after getting water tested of course and wait a week or two before adding the angels. Could someone answer the question I asked earlier about using the filter media that comes with the tank and set it inside my long 20g for 2 weeks then put it in the filter? I also have another question. The kit comes with a 100 watt heater is that powerful enough?

 

[Torrean]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10675

the third link down should help you out.



Alright I think once I seed the tank I will add my pleco after getting water tested of course and wait a week or two before adding the angels.

you need to test your water before you add more fish. If your AMMO and NI are 0 and your NA is up then you can add another fish. If you don't test you might accidentally add them at the worst possible time.

 

[Durbkat]

So once I put the filter media in the new filter from the other tank even before I add the pleco get the water tested and if its ok then add the pleco and wait 1to 2 weeks before adding angels and getting the water tested before I get them, right?