Seeding Advice for Cycling Needed Please

[Brian_Nano12g]

Okay so can someone please tell me what are the best "seeding" material that I can get from my friend's well established tank? My 12 gallon tank has been on 0.5 ppm Ammonia for like 3 weeks straight with no signs of Nitrites & Nitrates. I was using a biological filter booster (API Stress Zyme) and 3 Cherry Barbs since day one (early January) to no avail. I'm getting real bored and frustrated so I want to expedite this (yes, I should have just done the fishless cycling... this newbie now knows first hand...lesson learned 8-O ). Anyway, I called my buddy today who has a 200+ gallon cichlid tank to get some seeding material. How much material (filter sponge, gravel, etc.) do I need to speed my process up for my small 12 gallon? Or should I just squeeze the brown bacteria juice from his filter sponge and dump that in my tank?

Recommendations? Thank you!

 

[mfdrookie516]

if he has any ceramic rings, bio balls, anything like that, you'll get alot more bacteria per square inch of material... if not, just a sponge, or something from the filter will work... the brown stuff is more gunk than bacteria, though there will be some in it... better off to get something with the bacteria on it

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks again!