Seeding a biowheel

[MikeM]

I picked up a 29 g today, in my first surrender to MTS.  The new tank has a Bio-Wheel HOB filter.  My 75 g has a Fluval 404.  I'm wondering about the best way to seed the new tank for a fishless cycle.  Can I just take some of the Biomax tubes from the fluval and put them in the open area in the biowheel behind the foam/carbon, or would it be better to use gravel from my current tank and hang it near the outflow?

I'm planning on using the new tank as a quarantine while I finish stocking my 75, and then who knows... I'm already planning a massive night-ish tank, so it might stay a big quarantine for a while.

[babblefish1960]

The biomedia inside the HOB filter is the simplest,  but either method would work. The seeding will start the tank, but without some sort of food for the bacteria, either adding ammonia on a continual basis, or by having fish respirate in the tank, the bacteria won't survive. A quarantine tank is just a lump of water for use only at the times when you need it, so I am unsure why you would have a lump of water sitting around collecting dust. Just asking.

[MikeM]

Thanks for the advice, I'll pop some tubes in there tomorrow.  I fishless cycled my 75 g, so I'm familiar with the process.  The horrific combination of ick and columnaris lead me to want a quarantine tank.  I don't really intend on leaving it sitting around drinking a cup-load of ammonia every day.  I'd like to add a couple more fish to the 75 g, and then if I decide to break down and buy a big, long tank for the clown loaches, and that black ghost knife at SP Orleans, I'll need the quarantine again.  After all that's over, it might make a lovely nano reef or small african cichlid tank, otherwise I would most likely drain it and set it aside.

[babblefish1960]

After all that's over...I would most likely drain it and set it aside.

Oooh! Nasty! Repeat after me, the acquisition of more tanks is inversely proportional to the actual need for them, creating a void best repelled by the acquisition of more fish!

Good luck with your new setting up process.

[MikeM]

Thanks again.   It's seems MTS has evolved yet another strain that propagates via the Internet.  I promise I'll never commit the atrocious blasphemy of draining a tank again ... maybe I'll breed the angelfish.... so many choices