Seeding tanks

First topic message reminder :

I joined this site on Feb 4 of this year.. having been out of the hobby for over 20 years.. and ten years of phasing out my involvement... so.. really 30 years..
After joining on the 4th of Feb, I managed to hook up with a 35g the very next day that had been running for a half dozen years. With like 60-80 guppies in it!.. Well, I got my "deal".. siphoned off most of the water for transporting that tank for my first setup in a long time. Filled it up.. put some plants I bought in it and had an instant success... You'd swear the water is gin not H2O...<grin> Well then I picked up a 29Bow... and a 50g tall... I've done everything according to the book.. My 29B.. I filled via water changes from the established tank... progressing slowly.. the 50 I went with a soil/sand substrate about 2 weeks later.. and after just two weeks caught up with the 29b as far as clarity, plant growth and overall fish contentment.. Next up I sold off the 50 with the soil/sand set up and in a hurry set up a 55 with just a SPFS substrate... and it's limping along.. very slowly.. Seeded with 30 gal from the 50, plants galore and a saturated filter "glove" to get the bios runnings... Someone on here stated that if ya want to seed a tank, grab some gravel/soil from an established cycled tank and utilize that for the new set-up. I'm seeing that as some of the best advice I've received on here as a newbie..

Strikingthematch , I'm sorry to disagree with you . But , in the last 47 years of tank keeping , and all the tanks I've cycled , I have never had a tank get cloudy during the cycle . As a matter of fact , I've only had one 3 tanks get cloudy . two were algae blooms in tanks by the window . And the other was a bacteria bloom , and after 4 days of 30% water changes , it went away.
I've only used a chemical once , and that was to try to clear up a disease . Lost half the fish in that tank anyway.
Ray

Wow.. what a lively and informed debate! Yet another complexity exposed and debated by passionate beliefs! So.. I'm going to get some Basalt rock (from where?) and do a daily 5 gallon w/c.
My understanding on Prime: Allowing water to stand for 24 hrs allows chlorine to dissipate but does nothing for the chloramine. I was warned that if I didn't take care of that, there would be an eventual build up untill a fatal level was reached. I took that some what with a grain of salt.. Years and years ago all I ever did was allow the chorline to dissipate and do my water changes. Maybe I'm tweeking my proceedures too much this time around?
Oddly enough, when I set up the 50 in the Watlad (too rushed right now to search the threads for my post on this).. but the "naturally planted tank".. using 1-2 inches of sterized soil,, pool filter sand, plants and fish, I was cycled within 3 or 4 days.. I've got to learn to take more detailed notes. The only problem I had with that procedure was some suspended bits of soil and bark. They eventually settled to the bottom and provided a really natural look. Plus the plant established a root system that was incredible in a relatively short time! A member on here, bought the tank and kept the substrate and he's very happy with his new setup. Deadred....pipe in here!

bill prime does take out chloramine chlorine ammonia detoxifies nitrite and nitrate letting water sit for 24 hrs wont thke out chloramine and you need to agatate it to remove the chlorine im reading it off a bottle in front of me

I think I stated that.. re chloramine.. someone please tell me where I have the cycle messed up:
Fish and food create ammonia... one type of bacteria attacks ammonia and creates mitrites.. another type of bacteria attacks the nitrites and creates nitrates... Plants and fish consume a portion of the nitrates.... and from there?

I bought the 50 gallon tank that Bill is talking about, we only drained it about half? maybe a little more before we loaded it up in my car. When i got home i filled the tank the rest of the way up( i have well water, so i never use chemicals)and after however many days its been (8-10 i think) days now the tank is perfect, i just used the established filter, with another one i took out of another established tank i run, and presto the tank is running great. My fish is happy and doing fine i have checked all the levels in the tank a few times and they are absolutly perfect for my fish. I am a firm believer in using established filters to help tanks cycle, i have always done it this way, and havent lost a single fish. The water is as bill would say gin clear ...lol

the proper name I should have referenced is Diana Walstad. Book: Ecology of the Planted Aquarium.
The next tank scheduled for set up is a 48 g corner tank... Going back to her method. Sterilized potting soil 1-2 inches deep, 2 inches of pool filter sand... Going to house Dwarf SA cichlids... Seeded with a filter sock from an old tank.. Bill

i know this much, my fish the setup you made in the 50 gallon tank, I would stick to that one too

I had to try multiple setups and am now convinced with that one... My 29Bow has straight gravel.. up for well over a month.. the plants were so so... grabbed some clay pots.. did the appropriate work filled them with potting soil, then fiberglass screen for containment (cut-out for plant-stems) planted the plant, topped with a bit of gravel to cover the screening.. viola! Incredible growth in 10 days or so!

lifeisgood wrote:

Strikingthematch , I'm sorry to disagree with you . But , in the last 47 years of tank keeping , and all the tanks I've cycled , I have never had a tank get cloudy during the cycle . As a matter of fact , I've only had one 3 tanks get cloudy . two were algae blooms in tanks by the window . And the other was a bacteria bloom , and after 4 days of 30% water changes , it went away.
I've only used a chemical once , and that was to try to clear up a disease . Lost half the fish in that tank anyway.
Ray

Your not really disagreeing just you use a different tactic. Always more then one way to do something and plenty of them can be "right" The manner in which you cycle tanks is tried and true and works just about every time. I never said the bloom was common but rather it was natural and would go away on its own if left. Water changes can help speed that up but all in all nothing wrong with it. I personally have never had a bacteria bloom in a tank but I know it is completely normal if it was to happen.
Many people shy away from chemicals and it is understandable when you think of total organic waste in the water and the potential reactions it could have with fish. I mainly use it to get rid of the chlorine in my city water but have found it useful in cycling a tank and have yet to lose a fish even when ammonia and nitrites are peaked. They are certainly not the most sensitive fish but judging by their color and behavior they are completely unaffected by the cycling water quality. I would pefer to always do fishless cycles but I found it to be somewhat annoying last time I tired it.