# Quickest way to get my 2 new fry tanks up and running



## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

I just brought in 2 new fry tanks as I have females holding and ready to go but no where to put them. On the parent tank I have 2 HOB's - one with filter floss and foam, the other with foam and bio. I also have a big FX5 full of bio. I have sand substrate and rocks for cover. Not many other items in the tank.

I bought a couple of sponge filters for the 20G's and also ordered the Hattenburg filters as I wanted to try those. The sponges came in yesterday and Hattenburg will be a bit yet (maybe next week).

So, my question is what would be my best method to get the two 20G's online ASAP? I do have one extra HOB (its a bigger one for a 50G but no others available otherwise I would just move some of the HOB media across to a smaller HOB) Any recommendations?

HELP!!!


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## verbal (Aug 16, 2011)

Start running your sponges in the main tank. What size is your smallest HOB? You might be able to run it on the 20 gallon tank and use the extra HOB in its place.

Probably the thing to do is get one tank going and use the Hattenburg filter as a divider. You can move the sponges into it. Once those have become established you can set up fry tanks with a sponge and Hattenburg filter running side by side.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Running the sponges in the parent tank will work but takes time...probably more than I have for the ones that are holding.

The parent tank has a Marineland 350 and a AC110 HOB. Those are too big for the 20G. I have a spare new Aqueon 50? I think is what it is. It will run on the 20G tanks but the intake goes right to the bottom of the tank. Maybe I can retrofit something to make that intake shorter. I do have some prefilter sponges and connections but I'm not sure they fit the Aqueon. I can pull some media from the 350 and put it in the Aqueon and then run one of the sponges in that tank too to get it seeded. Thinking that might be quickest allowing me to get one of the tanks up and running with fish pretty quickly. Then I can put the other sponge in the parent tank until it seeds and wait to bring that tank online. Using the Hattenburg as a divider is a good idea too and it will seed also.

If the one 20G has the Aqueon 50, the 20G sponge filter, and the Hattenburg will that be too much flow for the babies as I'd have to leave the filters at least 3-4 weeks to make sure everything is seeded correctly. I worry about the Aqueon...it has pretty good flow but maybe if I get my prefilter on it it will slow it down some...or if I pack it with media from the main tank.

I just didn't know if something else might work better or if someone else had a better suggestion.


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## metricliman (Sep 3, 2012)

Hattenburg? Don't you mean Hamburg?


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Maybe...LOL


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

When do you expect to strip?

Order some Dr. Tim's One and Only and you won't have to worry about a thing. That is if you have enough time. I've used it to get a hospital tank going, with some established media. Works.


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## AfricanLove (Jan 2, 2012)

Are they 20 longs or highs, If they are longs you could put the Aqueon 50 on the side instead of the back so it doesn't splash water over the sides. I run a Aqueon 20 on my 10's


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

metricliman said:


> Hattenburg? Don't you mean Hamburg?


OK...I just had to go look it up...they are called Hamburg Mattenfilter (HMF) ... I believe I see where my brain stored Hattenburg...LOL...OMG...just shoot me

Alright then, 2 fry tanks up and running. A member on another forum posted the following:

_if you are just using it to hold the females and the fry you dont need to cycle it. You will not be feeding the fish and what little waste she will produce will help cycle the tank slowly. if you are in a hurry, using tank water from another tank and rinsing out the filter floss in the new tank will help. If you have a cave or rocks from the old tank that have a nice slime on them you can use those as well. tank decor can hold a good amount of bacteria on it, that should help. Once the mom spits the fry and you start to feed them you can do small daily water changes to keep the ammo down. After 1 month you should be close to cycled, enough for small fry._

I took his advice and hope all goes well. I placed a really heavy coated rock in each of the tanks (rock from established tanks), used some old tank water from the tanks, and let the filter floss sit by the sponge for a bit). I moved a holding Polit female and a what I think is a holding P. chromogynos female ...each to a tank. I'm not sure about the P. chromogynos as I had one this week that was huge holding (she spit before I got her) and this one which I think is holding...we'll see. Anyway...they are in the tanks and we will see how it goes.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would use filter media from the established tanks.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

DJ, could I just wrap the sponge filters with some of the filter floss? As I said, I don't have HOB's other than the Aqueon 50 to put on the 20G (and they are longs) and I only have the one Aqueon. So again, I guess I could put the Aqueon on one of the tanks but that still leaves the other tank and what to do there?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

How about the foam or a mesh bag with some of the bio?


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

I have mesh bags and could definately put some bio in those...I'll also pull a piece of foam and cut it and tuck it beside the sponges....thanks DJ


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

So one tank has no filtration at all?


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

NO....they both have sponge filters and rocks from exisiting aquariums and now each have some sponge and biomedia tucked up against the sponge filters. Only one holding female in each tank so hopefully that is good enough Iggy. I'll keep a close watch on everyone.


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## Kaenon (Dec 12, 2012)

Start running the sponge filters in your main tank.

In your fry tanks, use main tank water and add an airstone to each tank.
Do 30-50% water changes in the fry tanks for a week and a half, daily, using main tank water.

After a week and a half, move the sponges over to the fry tanks.


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## rekermbuna (Feb 19, 2013)

I always kept a sponge filter running in my main tank just for this purpose.

However, in a pinch (we had 14 tanks and 10 of those were for holding moms/fry) I simply transferred water from the main tank to the holding tank. Most of the time, you aren't feeding a holding mom, and she produces very little waste. The water from your main tank has already been dechlorinated, and will help seed the filtration you have on the tank quickly.


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