Adding water from already cycled tank

[ThomasG07]

I know about using a filter from an already cycled tank because the colony of beneficial bacteria is already thriving inside but can I either add some water from an already cycled tank or soak my current filter in it?

 

[Wy Renegade]

I know about using a filter from an already cycled tank because the colony of beneficial bacteria is already thriving inside but can I either add some water from an already cycled tank or soak my current filter in it?

You can add the water, it is certainly not going to hurt anything, however the general consenses is that most of the beneficial bacteria is contained in the filter and/or substrate, so its not likely to help a lot either. Can you place your new filter sponge in the cycled filter with its filter and let it run in there for a week or two?

 

[Nimo]

Using water from a cycled tank helps a little but if you don't use cycled filter media with the BB already established it doesn't do enough.
If you are starting a new tank the best thing to do is put a new piece of media in the filter of the established tank and let it run there for a week or so. If your main tank has more than one piece of filter media you could remove a piece of it to put in the new tank along with using the water from the main tank and maybe a little of the substrate wrapped in panty hose this will give a big kick start to cycle the tank quickly