lefty o

there is no nuance, as far as im concerned. in comparing seeding/seeded filter to establishing a complete new bacteria colony, with the new filter into a seasoned tank, you already have the bacteria, it just needs to colonize the new filter vs starting with no bacteria in a new tank etc. now i dont care if you do it for 3 days, or 3 weeks you cant stick it in a new tank and instantly fully stock the tank. really want to jump start one, as in you need one in a hurry. stick your new sponge filter in your seasoned tank and rub it all over the glass. once you have the bacteria, they multiply rapidly, you just have to give them reasonably decent water, and feed them. if someone is going to wait 3 weeks, may as well just stick a new filter in a new tank, and do the old fashioned "cycle" a tank. in the end, go with your gut, and do what feels right to you.

a few days will get it well seeded with bacteria. longer sure doesnt hurt, but 3-5 days will do the job. does not take long for bacteria to colonize.

might not be less impressive, but things on APRIL first tend to be less true.

as shrimp, they are bold, but ive never seen them pose any danger to even tiny fish.

for me, a pretty good estimate for glass tanks is 10# per gallon. that will usually give you a little margin for error without being way out of the ball park.

i use root tabs with my val, and swords. those are the only 2 i target with tabs, the rest just get liquid ferts. for me, they seem to like it, but ill admit im not always on top of adding liquid ferts.

yes they can.

yes it is. the only problem is getting the heated olympic sized pool for them up here. 😎

id bet your water is fine. a seasoned planted tank can be left alone for quite a while.

this is the simplest plan.

they look good. the purplish ones are great.

i cant see an issue with sandiego's climate. temps dont tend to be extreme, and even the chill in the middle of the night is only for a couple hours. that wont drop your water temps too much.

emersed vs submersed growth. totally normal.

im sure very very few tanks are on a GFCI, but if you were wiring up a new fish room, it would be a great idea to add one in.

i dont know, but you may be in need of a flame thrower to eliminate it.

im leaning towards female, but really need to see a clear side view of the tail/abdomen.

sorry to hear that. its always no fun when a good fish dies.

you have another filter with established bacteria, you should be fine to remove and treat them. just dont over feed, as you will be removing some of your bacteria.