Setting up a new tank questions

[frizzlefish]

If i'm running the same kind of filter on the 60 gallon as I will be on the 29 (bio-wheels) should I put one of the already ripened from the 60g wheels on the new 29g filter? Would that harm my 60g? I know it would help the 29g cycle along.

Or would it be wise to just pull out a filter cartridge from the 60 and whish it around in the 29g tank? Or put that in the new tank?


The 60g is running a penguin 350 and 150 (meaning 3 bio-wheels and 3 cartridges total) and the 29g has a penguin 200 on it (newly replaced by petsmart :) )

[crackatinny]

Personally, if was to do it, and using the same filter< i would take the used media from the filter in the old tank, and swap with the new media, asuming I have read your post right, and you are using same filter in both tanks. As bacterior should still be in gravel and other parts of filter on your main tank.

[Willyleigh]

I once swapped old filter sponges from an established tank and put them into a new tank and vice versa and I had no probs, there will be bacteria living all over your 60gal which will be able to reproduce very quickly to 'fill the gap' caused by the loss of one filter.

[frizzlefish]

I once swapped old filter sponges from an established tank and put them into a new tank and vice versa and I had no probs, there will be bacteria living all over your 60gal which will be able to reproduce very quickly to 'fill the gap' caused by the loss of one filter.

Great! That's just what I was hoping would happen - and not that the 60g woul d then have a cycling setback!

Going away for the weekend so I'll switch out one of the filter inserts, drop in my mesh back with shrimp peels and hope for the best til we get back!


Thanks!

[Lady Hobbs]

Transfer some gravel from old tank will also help a bunch. If you are using different colored gravel, you can put the old stuff in a nylon socking and just lay a bag of it in the new tank.