Seeding a new tank?

[squirrelrabbits]

I just set up a new 5.5 gallon hospital/quarantine tank about a week ago. After a few days, I put in three zebra danios to help cycle it. At the same time, I seeded it with some bacteria from an established tank by putting in the following: a live plant, a rock ornament, and a semi-used disposable filter catridge (from a top fin power filter I had changed out about a week before).

Here's my question: when you seed a tank like this, how long does it take to cycle? I am getting zero readings on both ammonia and nitrites, but this seems weird to me.

Thanks in advance for your help.

trish

 

[smithrc]

we cycle instantly be swapping filter media into the new tank.

as long as there ia a bio load to keep the bacteria alive - your off.

 

[squirrelrabbits]

Cool! Thanks a lot.

 

[nc_nutcase]

When I start a new tank I try to take the entire filter off an existing tank and put it on the new tank, then take the new filter and put it on the existing tank. As mentioned... be sure to have a bio source (fish) in both tanks. If this is the case you should only be cycling for a matter of hours. I'd still give it a day or two to equalize before adding delicate fish.

 

[astroboy]

When I start a new tank I try to take the entire filter off an existing tank and put it on the new tank, then take the new filter and put it on the existing tank. As mentioned... be sure to have a bio source (fish) in both tanks. If this is the case you should only be cycling for a matter of hours. I'd still give it a day or two to equalize before adding delicate fish.

You're leaving your established tank with barely any capability to nitrify.

Thats not what seeding is.

What you want to do for seeding is...

1) take the new filter media and place it in you old tank for a week- 2 weeks. That will give it lots of time to get a good size colony of bac on it. If you can place it in your existing filter, or somewhere with high water flow.

2) take out the 'seeded' media and throw it in your new filter, set it up on new tank and throw fish in right away to provide a source of ammonia