How Long To Seed A Sponge For Quarantine Tank?

I have an established tank that I'd like to add a few more guppies to and I've spent enough time and money on this tank that I'd like to quarantine before I add them.

I don't have a quarantine tank set up but I do have an empty 3 gallon betta tank that I'm thinking of using. My running tank only uses 1 filter and the filter cartridges don't fit the filter for the betta tank so moving a filter/ popping an old cartridge into a new filter isn't an option. I do have room in my filter to add enough sponge to fill the filter in the betta tank though. If I take that route, roughly how long would it take for the sponge to develope enough beneficial bacteria to safely move and use for the quarantine tank?

Also, would just dropping an old filter cartridge from my running tank into the bottom of the quarantine tank be helpful at all?

Thanks!

 

I know for sure that putting the old filter just IN the tank would help, you can even cover the old one lightly with some of the gravel to help the bacteria colonize the gravel u got too.

 

To be safe I would say a month.

I’ve done 6 tanks with air driven sponge filters, all in established tanks for a minimum of a month. All cycled quickly, 1-8 days. The 8 dayer has organic potting mix and the ammonia level was 8ppm. I put 2 seeded double sponge filters in and 8 days later I was 0, 0, tons of nitrates. A huge water change later, I put fish in. No issues.

 

Good topic. I just started my first non-Betta tank a month or so ago and already am thinking of more tanks. I have an Eheim in the 55 but added a double sponge just because I want to be able to quickly start up a new tank if/when needed. It will be nice to be able to just drop a filter in and go.

 

I'd say a good month or so. I keep one running in my tank all the time just in case I need to move it to a small QT tank.

 

I don't have any intentions to pull mine soon, not in a big hurry to establish another tank right this moment but I know I'm going to have some trepidation when I do make the move, just because.

 

What i’ve done a couple of time when I had double sponge filters in heavily stocked tanks was move one filter from one tank, move another filter from another tank and put them on a double sponge frame, back stocking the original tanks with one new filter each.

Never had any issues with either the new tanks, or the ones I removed a sponge from.

 

About a month for a new sponge filter but you can also grab a handful of gravel (top 1/2" layer) from your established tank and put it in the new tank to help speed it up.