How long does it take to seed a fiter?

[El_diablo]

I'm setting a 8gallon betta tank up and iv put my filter that I'm using for the betta tank into my 30G to try and get the bacteria I need to grow in the media, but what I want to know is how long does this process normally take?

 

[bud29]

I took some of my seeding material out after a little over a week, but I'm not sure if this was enough time.......

 

[El_diablo]

Ah right, is there a way to check if it's fully seeded? Maybe put it in the new tank after 2 weeks of being in the cycled 30g and test ur water after a few hrs or a day maybe or do u need some form of waste?

 

[bud29]

If you have pure ammonia, that could be the "waste" to see if it could break down.....I don't know, I think someone more experienced with this seeding process needs to chime in because I'm fairly new myself.

 

[jlk]

Honestly, it can take a couple of weeks. The longer you can run the filter on the 30g, the better!

 

[christine2012]

I'd give it at least 3 weeks or so!

 

[bud29]

I'd give it at least 3 weeks or so!

Oh my......hoping I didn't delay my cycle by taking it out after a week.......

 

[SushiLuckyFin]

Would it be better to take some media out of the 30Gal filter and put it into the new one?

 

[El_diablo]

Yeh it's a good idea and I'm going to do that with the 100G I'm setting up (eventually) I would do that with this but the filter for the 8G has quite specific media and I don't think media from the 30 will fit

 

[SushiLuckyFin]

If it were me I'd find a way to MAKE it fit (like a toddler with a jigsaw puzzle!) *fit darn you, fit!*

 

[El_diablo]

Haha I like it! Unfortunately the little filter is 1 of those elite stingray filters and my big filter has pretty large pieces of foam in it so unless I start hacking away at it with some scissors I doubt there's much chance of it fitting lol

 

[christine2012]

Oh my......hoping I didn't delay my cycle by taking it out after a week.......

You'll have to let us know!

 

[LyndaB]

If it were me I'd find a way to MAKE it fit (like a toddler with a jigsaw puzzle!) *fit darn you, fit!*

I do that with ALL my filters......