What's the best way to jump start a new nanotank?

[doink]

I have a mature 30 gallon tank with HOB filter. I plan on setting up a 2 gallon cube nano shrimp tank for my office. I'm going with a sponge filter for the new tank. What's the best way to jumpstart the cycle before I add shrimp? Put the new sponge filter in my existing tank HOB and let it run for a couple weeks? Try to transfer some filter media from my old HOB to the new tank? Sprinkle some substrate, maybe transfer some decor from old to new tank? Thanks!

[Lisa P]

Hello, take a cup of the mature 30-gallon aquarium water and add it to your 2-gallon nano.  That's what I've done with aquariums of all sizes to get them up and running.

 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

Water doesn’t carry beneficial bacteria, so personally I wouldn’t move any water. 
 

What I would do is get the sponge for your shrimp tank, and let that run in the main tank. Personally, I like 4 weeks. 
 

During that 4 weeks I would also not clean the media in your HOB. 
 

Then, when the shrimp tank is set up, squeeze and/or “clean” the media in the HOB in the new nano tank, as well as move the sponge filter over. 
 

That should be more than you need for shrimp, at least to carry their bioload which is relatively small. 
 

What shrimp really need to immediately thrive is a seasoned tank. I’d get the tank set up, and just let it do its thing while you season the sponge in the main tank. You WANT algae and biofilms and other things for the shrimp to graze on. 
 

Moving substrate, decor, or really anything other than water from the main tank will also carry over beneficial bacteria, but the seasoned sponge and seeding with the media in the HOB should have you more than set. 

Edited May 26 by AllFishNoBrakes

[doink]

On 5/26/2024 at 3:38 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

Water doesn’t carry beneficial bacteria, so personally I wouldn’t move any water. 
 

What I would do is get the sponge for your shrimp tank, and let that run in the main tank. Personally, I like 4 weeks. 
 

During that 4 weeks I would also not clean the media in your HOB. 
 

Then, when the shrimp tank is set up, squeeze and/or “clean” the media in the HOB in the new nano tank, as well as move the sponge filter over. 
 

That should be more than you need for shrimp, at least to carry their bioload which is relatively small. 
 

What shrimp really need to immediately thrive is a seasoned tank. I’d get the tank set up, and just let it do its thing while you season the sponge in the main tank. You WANT algae and biofilms and other things for the shrimp to graze on. 
 

Moving substrate, decor, or really anything other than water from the main tank will also carry over beneficial bacteria, but the seasoned sponge and seeding with the media in the HOB should have you more than set. 

My new tank has a sponge filter, not hob.  So I planned on putting the new sponge in the HOB filter of my existing tank if it fits or letting it sit in the tank (does it make a difference?). Since I don't have a HOB for my new tank, anything else I can do to clean out existing filter in new tank? Maybe squeeze out some of the existing HOB sponge into new tank on the substrate 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 5/26/2024 at 4:57 PM, doink said:

My new tank has a sponge filter, not hob.

Right, so run that new sponge filter in the existing tank. Doing so will seed it with beneficial bacteria. And then move the sponge filter into the new tank when you get the shrimp to have a fully cycled, fully seeded filter for the new tank. 
 

Just like cleaning out the existing HOB into the new tank will seed the new tank with additional bacteria, mulm, and microorganisms.

Edited May 26 by AllFishNoBrakes

[lefty o]

all of it works to some degree to get beneficial bacteria into the new tank. here's what ill add when it comes to shrimp, and a new tank. you will for sure want to use decor, substrate etc from an established tank so that there is a good established amount of biofilm for the shrimp to browse on. with just shrimp, they have a low bioload themselves so having a huge colony of beneficial bacteria isnt as big of deal as it would be with fish, but the bio film is even more important.

[doink]

Great points about needing seasoned biofilm for shrimp to browse on. Maybe I'll try to transfer some plants over to the new tank. 

On 5/26/2024 at 4:26 PM, lefty o said:

all of it works to some degree to get beneficial bacteria into the new tank. here's what ill add when it comes to shrimp, and a new tank. you will for sure want to use decor, substrate etc from an established tank so that there is a good established amount of biofilm for the shrimp to browse on. with just shrimp, they have a low bioload themselves so having a huge colony of beneficial bacteria isnt as big of deal as it would be with fish, but the bio film is even more important.

 

On 5/26/2024 at 3:38 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

Water doesn’t carry beneficial bacteria, so personally I wouldn’t move any water. 
 

What I would do is get the sponge for your shrimp tank, and let that run in the main tank. Personally, I like 4 weeks. 
 

During that 4 weeks I would also not clean the media in your HOB. 
 

Then, when the shrimp tank is set up, squeeze and/or “clean” the media in the HOB in the new nano tank, as well as move the sponge filter over. 
 

That should be more than you need for shrimp, at least to carry their bioload which is relatively small. 
 

What shrimp really need to immediately thrive is a seasoned tank. I’d get the tank set up, and just let it do its thing while you season the sponge in the main tank. You WANT algae and biofilms and other things for the shrimp to graze on. 
 

Moving substrate, decor, or really anything other than water from the main tank will also carry over beneficial bacteria, but the seasoned sponge and seeding with the media in the HOB should have you more than set. 

 

[Galabar]

Have you purchased the tank yet?  I find that, for nano tanks, an all-in-one solution looks better than sticking a sponge filter (and possibly heater) in a small tank:

https://www.amazon.com/Lifegard-Aquatics-Crystal-Aquarium-Beveled/dp/B07JVT9B86

https://www.amazon.com/Lifegard-Gallon-Betta-Aquarium-Ultra/dp/B0855164J5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009S8NO26

https://www.amazon.com/PENN-PLAX-Water-World-Prism-Nano-Aquarium/dp/B00BJ7F3KU

 

Edited May 27 by Galabar