cycling with a sponge filter

[absolutangel04]

I am setting up a 2.5 gallon tank for shrimp. I will be making a sponge filter. Do I cycle the tank the same way as with a HOB filter (I did mine with food food) or is there something special to do with the sponge? Is it better for me to just leave the sponge in my cycled community tank for a while?

 

[Terrance]

Leave everything in the shrimp tank include the sponge.

Take some established decor from your community tank to your shrimp tank. In theory its suppose to help speed up the cycling process, but I personally don't think it help that much.

 

[absolutangel04]

Do I still add the fish food to cycle or is the decor supposed to be enough?

 

[Terrance]

fish food will produce ammonia for you. Beneficial bacteria will grow by feeding on the ammonia. Decor from your community tank already have good bacteria on it, so it will just be an addition to your tank's beneficial bacteria.

Decor not needed, but fish food is required for ammonia purposes.

 

[siva]

I am setting up a 2.5 gallon tank for shrimp. I will be making a sponge filter. Do I cycle the tank the same way as with a HOB filter (I did mine with food food) or is there something special to do with the sponge? Is it better for me to just leave the sponge in my cycled community tank for a while?

Yes. I would probably run the sponge filter in the community tank for a while to try and give it a jump start, and then do a regular fishless cycle with it. You can use fish food, but I like pure ammo a lot better.