Transferring Bacteria to Quarantine Tank

So I set up my 10 gallon quarantine tank over the weekend. I took 10 gallons out of my main tank so the water conditions would most closely match. I put the heater in and it is now at the same temperature as the main tank. I am ready to transfer over my seeded bacetria stuff and have a few questions:

1) I have a seeded cartridge filter that will fit my new HOB of the quarantine tank. I will put it in where it goes. I also have a small Aquarium Co-Op sponge I have stored in the main tank's HOB to fill with bacteria. Should I also put that sponge into the new HOB for the quarantine tank or just drop it into the quarantine tank?
2) I have plastic plants and no substrate in the quarantine tank. I assume the bacteria will grow on those once it gets going.
3) Do I add ammonia and fish food to the QT each day just like I did to establish the main tank? How high do I need to get the ammonia to know if the tank instantly cycled and how many days in a row do I bring it up to that level to feel confident?
4) Once I know it is seeded and all good, if it only took a few days, do I need to do a water change before adding fish to the quarantine tank or is it ok?

Thank you for your help! It's my first time to have a QT.

 

For a quarantine tank, you don't exactly need conditions to be perfect. It's only made or put there to treat new fish or sick fish to be in there for one week or so. In case that you are keeping fish in there longer than 2 weeks, then it needs to be cycled. Some QTs are as simple as a heater and a sponge filter for aeration.

 

So I set up my 10 gallon quarantine tank over the weekend. I took 10 gallons out of my main tank so the water conditions would most closely match. I put the heater in and it is now at the same temperature as the main tank. I am ready to transfer over my seeded bacetria stuff and have a few questions:

1) I have a seeded cartridge filter that will fit my new HOB of the quarantine tank. I will put it in where it goes. I also have a small Aquarium Co-Op sponge I have stored in the main tank's HOB to fill with bacteria. Should I also put that sponge into the new HOB for the quarantine tank or just drop it into the quarantine tank?
2) I have plastic plants and no substrate in the quarantine tank. I assume the bacteria will grow on those once it gets going.
3) Do I add ammonia and fish food to the QT each day just like I did to establish the main tank? How high do I need to get the ammonia to know if the tank instantly cycled and how many days in a row do I bring it up to that level to feel confident?
4) Once I know it is seeded and all good, if it only took a few days, do I need to do a water change before adding fish to the quarantine tank or is it ok?

Thank you for your help! It's my first time to have a QT.

1) yes, you can add the sponge to the filter
2) fake plants works
3) you can, but if you add seeded media, the tank is already cycled. I would wait 1 day or so before adding fish
4) you don;t need to do a water change

In my qt tank, I just have a sponge filter, and a bunch of guppy grass. qt tanks don;t need to be cycled if you do frequent water changes

 

You did all the right steps and don't need to worry about cycling. As KJ2 stated, your tank is already cycled since you used seeded media.

 

Thank you, everyone!