gmen4life

ok so if i take a HOB filter from my cycled 55 gal wich has a 30 day old media in it ....i want to cycle my 30 gal with it how much gravel do i also add from my cycled tank? should i add raw shrimp or should i buy a few minnows from the bait store and roughly how long do you guy think it will take ?

Lucy

A couple of handfulls would be fine. Put it in some panty house and put it in your new tank.
IMO, it should be an instant cycle depending how much bacteria you've transfered.
You should be safe to add a couple of fish you want to stock.
Just keep an eye on your parameters.
Leave the gravel in the new tank for at least 2 weeks.

gmen4life

well its for a pair of cons and could i use sand for a substrate?i could squeeze out a floss pad from my canister also but dont want a mini cycle in my 55

Lucy

Not sure about the sand, you probably can, but it might be messy trying to get it out and it might sift through the stocking.
If you put the new filter media or run the new filter in the established 55g for at least 2 weeks, that should help seed the 30g without effecting the 55g.

gmen4life

yeah the media is a month old im going to put the whole hob on the 30 gal its not sand i was wondering how sand would work for cons is all the hob has a bio sponge on it also i guess ill watch the water closely after i do it also........ maybe use food see how it takes the food? test all that