Seeding Tanks

[FishWishDish]

I have a 5-gal betta tank that's cycled in the last 3 weeks or so, and a 10-gal (4 goldfish and 1 pleco) that is taking forever to cycle. Can I put an extra sponge in the 5-gal to seed the 10-gal? How long should you leave the sponge in the cycled filter before moving it to the struggling tank?
Anything else to know? The 5-gal has a bio-wheel and carbon filter I've been afraid to change for fear of losing bacteria. Is it safe to assume the colony on the biowheel could sustain the loss of the carbon filter? Even so, I plan on putting at least 2 sponges in to build up first just in case, one to move and one to stay in the 5-gal. Advice welcome...

Also I want to move the goldfish and pleco to a 55 gal by the end of the year with a fishless cycle. I'm familiar with the basics of fishless cycling, but any tips or solutions to common problems with moving fish from one tank to another can't hurt!
Thanks!

 

[raptorrex]

could do with some water stats for the 10g. both Goldfish and plecos are filthy fish, your tank may not be properly cycled and these fish will not help, they produce so much waste between them.

 

[FishWishDish]

could do with some water stats for the 10g. both Goldfish and plecos are filthy fish, your tank may not be properly cycled and these fish will not help, they produce so much waste between them.

Ammonia (NH4, since I've been using Prime religiously) hovers from 1.0-2.0ppm
Nitrite 0-.25
Nitrates - so many water changes it's coming up 0-5
I'm thinking if I can seed a sponge in the cycled tank it might speed things up, b/c this tank was processing ammonia to nirite but hadn't fully cycled, then I changed the carbon filter and it went back to some weakened state...it seems the nitrite is being processed to nitrate steadily, but now there's not enough ammonia being converted. I read somewhere that it takes longer for NH4-eating bacteria to develop than NH3, but altogether it's been months!! Surely it has to get there sooner or later.

 

[raptorrex]

i fear that your new tank my not have enough mature media to offer with out, possibly doing it harm. your tank is not totally cycled, if i am honest, i would not have any fish in yet. water changes cause problems during the cycle, removing ammonia, nitrite (filter food) and the very bugs you are trying to nurture. its s sticky one. short of removing the fish and giving the tank chance to cycle, its going to take a long time. there may be others with better answers.