Seeding a New Filter

[ricksza]

I currently have a 10 gallon divided tank for my Sakura and Blue Dreams. I'm starting to get all the equipment to upgrade to larger individual tanks. My question is, I'm currently seeding new dual sponge filters in my divided tank, how long until they are considered ready? When I set up the new tanks with the seeded filters, do I add ammonia 4 ppm daily as if I were cycling until I move the shrimp over? How long can the bacteria stay alive without feeding? Should I move some fish from my community tank temporally to keep the bio load up? Any other tips, ideas?

[kms]

You can add bacteria in dried form or liquid form, and put a few flakes every two to three days, if your parameter are correct, you can have the shrimps in 2 week, but I will give it more time, my 16 l tank took about 2 months.

Even if it's ready, you will still get dead shrimps.

Edited August 2, 2019 by kms

[jayc]

@ricksza is doing it the right way. Bacteria seeded from an existing, healthy tank filter is better than any bottled product. Often bottled "bacteria" isn't the right bacteria.

 

[ricksza]

21 hours ago, kms said:

..........Even if it's ready, you will still get dead shrimps.

I'm hoping to use some water from the original tank so the water parameters will be similar, to lessen the shock issue.

[bristlenose]

What kind of filter are you using at the moment? and what kind of filter for your 2 new individual tanks? i assume you're you'll be using a sponge filter since you're keeping shrimp?

My apologies i've reread your original post and it says you're seeding new sponges. So all you really need to do is cut your old sponge filter in half once you get all the necessary equipment ready for your 2 new tanks and attach 1 half to each new sponge filter with a ziptie, thread or rubber band and It should be enough beneficial bacteria to seed both tanks instantly assuming of course both your sakura and blue dreams and more or less equal in number. if not 1 tank can get 3/10 of the old sponge and the other can get 7/10 of the sponge. 

[ricksza]

I currently have a single sponge filter in each half of my divided 37 Liter tank. I'm putting 1 double sponge filter in each 75 Liter new tank. That's why I currently have the new double sponge filters in with the current single filters. 

[sdlTBfanUK]

That is what I have done in the past as I have 2 filters per tank (different type than above) so use the sponge from one in a new tank taken from an older tank, and leave the new sponge for the 2nd in an old running tank for a few weeks to colonise!

I would guess a couple of weeks would be enough before transferring some shrimp doing this method and using plants and water also from the old tank, though do the usual nitrite/ammonia/nitrate tests first and as long as the substrate is ready/stable by then? I haven't used ammonia but just feed the tank a very small amount of shrimp food every couple of days, and usually add some assassin snails from day 1 as I have those in all my tanks anyway and they don't seem to be affected or die off? You could do the fish method you ask about, I have done this before without the fish dying, but there is always the risk it may die, or at the very least some consider it cruel???

Hope some of this may be helpful but the 'cycle' is a mythical beast to me (that is why I have stayed quiet so far....) as I have never actually seen it happen as it is supposed too.............. ammonia up/down, then nitrite up/down then nitrate up/down??? It could be because I use the same method as you are suggesting here with pre-seeded filters/water/plants etc I guess???

Simon

[jayc]

17 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

That is what I have done in the past as I have 2 filters per tank (different type than above) so use the sponge from one in a new tank taken from an older tank, and leave the new sponge for the 2nd in an old running tank for a few weeks

That's the way to do it. Put the new filter into the old tank, and leave it for a couple of weeks. Then instead of using the new filter in the the new tank, you use the old filter. Hope that makes sense. It's a swap basically.

Edited August 5, 2019 by jayc

[ricksza]

20 hours ago, sdlTBfanUK said:

......... You could do the fish method you ask about, I have done this before without the fish dying, but there is always the risk it may die, or at the very least some consider it cruel???......Simon

I wasn't going to add fish until the tank was cycled. Add them to keep the cycle going.

3 hours ago, jayc said:

That's the way to do it. Put the new filter into the old tank, and leave it for a couple of weeks. Then instead of using the new filter in the the new tank, you use the old filter. Hope that makes sense. It's a swap basically.

Problem is, the old filter is too small for the new tank. I figure if I keep the new filter in the old tank, after a couple of weeks or months, it would be well seasoned to work.

[jayc]

23 hours ago, ricksza said:

Problem is, the old filter is too small for the new tank

Ahh I see. Well yes, keep the new filter in the old tank for at least a couple of weeks before moving it.

Also, you can squeeze the gunk from the old filter into the new tank to seed it. And you get cleaned filters for the old tank at the same time.