Lucy

I was wondering.....(this is always the point that my husband rolls his eyes and says Oh No, lol)

Some people have great success seeding their tank with used filter media, gravel and other things from an established tank.
Other's don't and end up having to go through the entire cycling process.

When someone seeds their tank and add fish right away.
Is it possible that the bacteria dies off because there is no immediate ammonia available to sustain it?

Would it be beneficial to add the fish first, give it a couple of days and then add the used filter media, thus giving the bacteria an immediate source of food?

Fishies-for-me

hmm good theory....you could also use used tank water from an established tank I would assume and that would already have the needed stuff in it...lol ( as food for the seeded filter i mean )

Lucy

The majority of the bacteria grows on surfaces, there's really not enough in the water to jump start a cycle.

Fishies-for-me

Yup....but I meant as food for the bacteria ..instead of waiting a few days could you use seeded filter material and established water....I am not sure if I am babbling or getting my idea across...lol it all sounds so logical in my head.

Lucy

Oh, I see, you're saying. If there was ammonia in the water, that could possible work. But in an established tank, there shouldn't be ammonia in the water.

Fishies-for-me

Your right..but the trace amounts have to be there to feed the filter in that tank to start with...see what I mean...as the fish release waste it is in the water long enough for the filter and bacteria to do its job.

sirdarksol

A good point, Fishies. The extra ammonia may do it.

However, I haven't done this, and I've never had any problems.
This is an interesting thought.

I wonder if the people for whom it doesn't work don't dechlorinate the water until after it hits the filter media... I really don't know.

Lucy

I've seeded all but 1 (the first one) of my tanks. I've only had 1 show ammonia after it was seeded. I was really surprised considering I had been successful 2 other times.

Fishies-for-me

I have seeded and been sucessful with that..I also just rekick started a tank whose bacteria were compromised by trisulpha I was suprised by a ammonia reading of 2...I stuck some sponges out ofone of the other tanks into the filter and in 2 days the ammonia was 0 again...whew ..the fish are fine.