| Seeding A Tank Using Another Tank Author: Curtis B Date Submitted: 8/16/2003 edited 11/21/2003 revised 3/27/2004 I Compiled this article as a list of "Ideas" to help you speed up the cycle in your new tank. Some of these Ideas are more conducive to those of you that already have an established tank, but most of them can be utilized by purchasing "media" from the established tanks inside a pet store. Some pet stores resist selling ornaments and stuff from inside their tanks, but most will, if you insist. These ideas are not meant to be "followed to the letter" but as a guide and as a source for live bacteria colonies. You may mix and match many of these sources for seed material. If you live near a pet store that carries the product "Bio-Spira" made by MarineLand INC then you can successfully seed a tank using this product. There is not much positive evidence that other bacterial products do any good whatsoever. One online store that will ship with mixed results is http://www.fishstoretn.com
Ideas for seeding a new tank, or a second tank Important note about setup - make sure it is level and flat. Make sure the floor and cabinet are strong enough to handle all this weight. This is the hardest part about tanks bigger than 20 US gallons They weigh so much and will break or split if setup improperly | Weight of Water 1 Gallons [US] = 3.7854118 Kilograms 1 Gallons [US] = 8.3452641 Pounds 1 Liters = 2.2045855 Pounds 1 Liters = 1 Kilograms | Idea 1 : Install your new filter onto the old tank for 1 to 3 weeks in order to seed it. Longer is better . You should have both running simultaneously on the established tank - turn the bigger filter down ( if bigger) so the fish are not too discomforted. Idea 2 : During the 1st week - make there are sure no leaks or sagging with the new tank. Temperature and hopefully pH matched to your older tank in this newer tank. Circulation is helpful in this time in the new tank to keep the oxygen levels up, the pH stable and keep the water from getting stagnant. A small air pump bubbler set up near the heater is adequate. If you are going to run a fish less cycle then increasing temperature and pH may also help speed up the process to create the ideal conditions for this type of bacteria to grow well Idea 3: extract 50% of the gravel from your old tank and put in your new tank. Move your new filter that has been running on your old tank onto the new tank. At the same time move 1 to 2 full grown Guppy to Platy sized fish into the new tank for every 10 US gallons of water (38 liters) Idea 4: Use an old filter pad or other "media" just extracted from your established tank or the pet stores tank. Cut it up if necessary to make it fit into the new filter. Many people cultivate a "seed" sponges just for emergencies and these can be used also to start a new tank. Idea 5: Special Note : Moving water between tanks is not as helpful because it does not have a significant amount of the beneficial bacteria in it. The nitrifying bacteria like to colonize hard pitted surfaces like rock, plastic, poly fiber and sponge type materials in oxygen rich areas of your tank. Moving water is more helpful to equalize specific gravity, temperature and pH, but not so much bacteria. ( common myth in the hobby ) but that said, there is likely to be some bacteria in the water, especially hetero trophic bacteria that also play an important role in the mineralization of organic matter. Idea 6: A wet bag full of gravel. Note that gravel near the bottom of a lift tube in a UGF style tank is prime seed material. This can be placed in a white cotton sock and tied off in a knot if you do not wish to mix gravels. You can only keep it inside the tank for a few weeks because the cotton sock will start to thin and deteriorate. You place the gravel filled sock under a filter return for maximum benefit. After couple of weeks you gently pull the sock out of the tank and then you can return the gravel back to your friend or toss it.. Repeat this procedure with a new batch of gravel if the biological filter does not start. You may want to place cotton sock in some water and use a few drops of dechlorinate on it, before using just in case there is some bleach residue left over from laundering Idea 7: Rocks. More porous and rough rocks are better than smooth ones. You can place the rock from your friends tank near the filter return for maximum benefit and return it in two weeks. Idea 8: Wood - Natural woods are porous and make good surfaces for biological filtration. Same location and same procedure. Idea 9: Filter media - Filter floss, Poly fiber , sponge pads are all Superior surfaces for bacteria to colonize. If your friend or pet store is about ready to replace a filter cartridge you can take the used cartridge and make it fit into your filter by cutting it up or if you are lucky it will just fit. The poly fiber on the outside of the cartridge as well as the internal plastic will contain substantial bacterial colonies. This is probably the most effective method of transferring the good bacteria. In Many pet stores that use under gravel filtration, the best source of "media" comes from the gravel itself. The gravel closest to the bottom of the "Up Lift" tubes is prime real estate for beneficial bacteria. Many pet stores will give you a cup of gravel if you ask very nicely. Stores that use central filtration are not only more prone to disease outbreaks, but also can not give you this "prime" seed material. Idea 10: The heavily planted tank - Plants can uptake ammonia and nitrate directly, so they skew the tests and make it less clear when the tank is cycled. Some people actually go directly to a heavily planted tank, with high lighting + CO2 injection and after the plants are growing good, then introduce a low fish load without any need to cycle at all. Plants are part of the total bio filter With all these ideas, it is important to keep them damp in a plastic bag during transport and get them inside your tank ASAP. Quantity and speed are important. After using the ideas above: Monitor the water in both of your tanks for ammonia , nitrite and nitrate. When you see both tanks building nitrate ( zero ammonia and nitrite) then you can gradually increase fish load every week. If you see any ammonia or nitrate you can move some fish back between tanks to re balance the toxin buildup. I have successfully cycled tanks using this method and 80% of the time have seen no ammonia or nitrite buildup. Within just 1 week, was adding more fish. SPECIAL NOTE: If you wait until ammonia starts to show in tank before adding seed materials, then you may have to seed the tank twice. Once for ammonia and a second time for nitrite The most effective place in a UGF for bio filter cultivation is right around the base of the lift tubes, This is the place where you can bury /place the seed material for most effectiveness ( wood, rock gravel, filter foam etc) | 
