Setting up a new 10 g tank for friend

Hello, I am setting up a tank for my friend, well really he is setting ip up and I am helping. He has all decorations and stuff, and he just filled it up with water. I will be giving him a portion of the sponge from my cycled 20 g with a decent bioload, should I give it to him now or wait a little longer for him to get the fish? I ask this because I don’t want to give it to him too soon and have all the beneficial bacteria die because nothing was there to feed it.

 

Hello, I am setting up a tank for my friend, well really he is setting ip up and I am helping. He has all decorations and stuff, and he just filled it up with water. I will be giving him a portion of the sponge from my cycled 20 g with a decent bioload, should I give it to him now or wait a little longer for him to get the fish? I ask this because I don’t want to give it to him too soon and have all the beneficial bacteria die because nothing was there to feed it.

When does he plan to get fish? If he’s not sure, no harm in waiting.

When he does get fish, be sure to tell him to test his water parameters often for the first week or so. Sometimes what we think will be an “instant cycle“ isn’t.

 

When does he plan to get fish? If he’s not sure, no harm in waiting.

When he does get fish, be sure to tell him to test his water parameters often for the first week or so. Sometimes what we think will be an “instant cycle“ isn’t.

He plans on getting it at the end of this week. And yeah, I will definitely have him monitor his water parameters. I also have one more question, I want him to get some beginner plants because they look awesome and help the tank out drastically, but he doesnt have much lighting, only an led strip above the tank. Will this be enough for any type of plant?

 

He plans on getting it at the end of this week. And yeah, I will definitely have him monitor his water parameters.

That's fine, nitrifiers can go for weeks to months before going dormant, let alone dying off.

I also have one more question, I want him to get some beginner plants because they look awesome and help the tank out drastically, but he doesnt have much lighting, only an led strip above the tank. Will this be enough for any type of plant?

Depends on the specific lighting, but yes even very simple lighting can grow certain types of plants. I have hornwort and dwarf hairgrass growing under this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093GZKYM9.

 

That's fine, nitrifiers can go for weeks to months before going dormant, let alone dying off.

Depends on the specific lighting, but yes even very simple lighting can grow certain types of plants. I have hornwort and dwarf hairgrass growing under this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093GZKYM9.

One more question, will taking out a portion of the filter media harm my tank in any way/if I wanted to get a new fish should I wait for some time after taking it out? I have a hang on back filter and a sponge filter, the hob filter has 75% of the media still

 

One more question, will taking out a portion of the filter media harm my tank in any way/if I wanted to get a new fish should I wait for some time after taking it out? I have a hang on back filter and a sponge filter, the hob filter has 75% of the media still

I’d wait to give him the sponge until he’s ready to get the fish. Also, I’d give your tank a week after that before getting some new fish.