"seeding" new filter for second tank

[agrainger76]

i have an existing 150 gallon well cycled tank and going to start a second one to grow out some small ones . my plan is to add the new filter to the existing tank to have it cycled.

My question would be how long to keep it in there before starting the new tank?

[Akili]

Extra filter on an established tank will take a few weeks in order to allow nitrifying bacteria to grown on the filter media.I go four weeks minimum Wait till others chime in

[Phillydubs]

Do you run sponge filters at all... Typically in the past I always moved a well seeded sponge over and did it that way...

[Las Vegas]

I wouldn't do that. I go by the old saying, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" If you have a perfectly good setup, then why mess with it? If your gonna start another tank, put your new system in that one and seed with used water from water change and/or filter. Just dip the used filter in the water of the new tank. Don't wring it in there, just let some yuk fall into the new tank. Then let tank cycle for a few weeks. Then you know the rest? Right?

[agrainger76]

current filter on show tank is fx5. was going to put a sponge filter in there for however long then fill the new tank with water change water and put the sponge filter in. figured that would be a perfect start.

[Filip]

Maybe a faster and easier solution would be to take out some filter material- sponge, Floss, rings from the canister and put that in or wrap it around your new filter as a filter material.
You can fill it with your old tank water also to be 100% sure.

[mee]

Filip, and Phillydubs gave you the best answers IMHO.

If you don't have a sponge filter in the original tank, you can add one now, and just wait a couple weeks till it has a decent amount of bacteria build up. You should probably do more frequent water changes on the new tank after adding it till your filters are fully established, but you will at least have some nitrifying bacteria.

Filip's way is gonna be about the same, you can seed a new filter with old filter material, and will have that small bit of nitrifying bacteria, but it's going to take a couple weeks to spread throughout the filter, and a week or two more to really get a thriving community going IME. Adding water from the cycled tank will help as well as stated.

[Jack L]

All I do is keep some spare floss in the sump AND PUT in the new setup or squeeze some of that earthy smelling goodness on new media and it is instantly cycling IME