How to seed a filter?

[Armoredspider]

I am planning to get a fluval edge 12 gallon today after dinner. It has an aqua clear filter just like my 10 gallon. How would I seed the filter? Will it insta-cycle it?

 

[Shane87]

To "seed" a filter you just use established media out of your existing tank but be careful that you don't send your existing tank into a cycle by taking out to much media. For the 2nd part of your question, no it will not cycle instantly but it will help speed things up a lot! Just keep testing your water perameters and it could be running in a week maybe, it's hard to tell how long a cycle will take but in a small tank with a seeded filter I would say not long, good luck

 

[jcolon]

+1 with Shane87

A good way to insta-cycle a tank ... would be to run two filters on your main tank for a few weeks and then put one on your new tank.

Otherwise grab media from your main tank and stuff it in the filter of your new one.
If you feel you can't donate have enough media to avoid a mini-cycle on your main tank, you could also add substrate, DW or rocks from your main tank ... not as much bacteria .. but it's better than nothing.

 

[librarygirl]

The best thing would be to run the new filter on the current tank for 3-4 weeks. Barring that, you can snip some of the media from your current tank and add it to the new filter but not too much or youll throw your current tank into a mini cycle (always test after removing media) and you probably won't have enough bacteria to sustain many fish at first. So you could either add some media from your current tank to the new tank and start dosing with ammonia (do a fishless cycle) or add one or two small fish and test levels and do water changes as needed.

Is this an upgrade to your current tank or is this going to be a second tank? Also what fish are you thinking of getting?

 

[Armoredspider]

This is a second tank. I am planning on adding yellow Rcs, endlers, and red rams horn snails. Will snails eat java moss and Anubis plants? Is there any way to transport part of my sword plant from the other tank to the new one?