seeding new tank

OK guys if I have a new tank and filter running and I add an external off a seeded tank how long do I need to run it on the new tank so the new filter is seeded

i could be wrong but i think its 4-6wks but theres other bacteria that takes longger to establish

I just rinsed out a seeded filter into a bucket and poured it into the new tank this worked for me before and the tank seeded in no time

Squeeze 1 filter into another or do a media swap, either have worked for me in the past! Go easy on feeding for the first while and plenty of small water changes and your laughing

It also depends on the bio-load of the fish in the tank.
Do you have any in there ?

Depends on size of mature filter you are transferring to new tank and bioload in the new tank. If it was a well stocked 'old tank' with a smaller water volume from which the filter was being taken and transferred to 'larger' but equally stocked new tank, it should be fine from day 1. Seed the new filter with some squeezings from mature filter to kick it off. This is much more effective than adding squeezings to main water column. If you have any doubt at all just use some organic Aqua starter kit in addition to what I've just outlined.

I've done this a few times but most relevant was upscaling from a 180L to 375L with discus stock and I never had an issue...
Hope this helps!

Brian

quote="alan 64" post=180714]OK guys if I have a new tank and filter running and I add an external off a seeded tank how long do I need to run it on the new tank so the new filter is seeded[/quote]

So long as you don't kill off the established microbial colonies in the older filters, the system will have a very much accelarated head-start (although pH and other factors will come into play on the speed of establishing a useful microbal colony).

Make sure the existing colony on the transfered filter are not sloughed off.

The system will establish itself in phases over time.........
.....a very rapid establishment will be the nitrosofying process (oxidation of ammonia to nitrites) will be noted. That is very key on a new tank.
Then the nitrification process (oxidation of nitrites to nitrates) will take a considerable longer time to establish, and the bacteria involved in this process defo need a solid phase on which to work and are much more sensitive to change.
Now, although the latter process can take much longer to establish than the former process, the mature media (if not killed) will start to work very rapidly.

But, as said above by others, do take care in the initial period with feeding etc.

Other biological process will kick into reasonable action with time depending on what bacteria are in the transferred media.

I would increase aeration during the initial period, and add some ammonia adsorbing zeolite (or similar) to buffer the filter system capabilities.

Take care with having high ammonia in the tank as that will kill or hold-back the nitrification process (remember the bacteria involved in the nitrification process do not take kindly to ammonia even though it is food for the nitrosofying process).

I am a fan of seeding a filter system from another tank (so long as no diseases are introduced and care is taken not to kill the seeding bacteria)...why? because it works.

ian

Cool lads thanks for the reply I will keep an eve on the levels I think it will be ok the way I did it but thanks for all ur input