Seeding...is the old tank healthy enough?

acocacolagirl

acocacolagirl

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Dec 2, 2004
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Hi.
I am ready to fill and seed my new tank, but I'm not sure my old tank his healthy enough. I receintly treated the fish for internal parasites...there has been improvement, so I assume I treated them for the correct problem. But their fins also don't look healthy, so I am currently treating them with melafix. I cant afford to buy anything expensive to seed the tank so I would prefer to seed from my old tank, I just don't know if I should...
 
I wouldn't seed from a tank that recently had problems. When I say recently, I mean a good 6 months or more. When you bring new fish home, they are stressed and catch things way to easily. It's just not worth it if you ask me.
 
Do I have to seed?

Do I trust just getting a squeeze from the LFS? (I don't think so, I don't trust most of the people I talk to in the LFS - although occationally I find someone who seems genuinely knowledgeable.)
 
Seed or cycle--the tank will need a biofilter in some way. Anything from the LFS would be questionable, IMO--would probably have bacteria, but may also have pathogens.
 
It seems important to do a fishless cycle - which means I have to seed doesn't it?

I don't mind doing a fishy cycle, but then I'm sure none of the fish I want would classify as "hardy". For my first tank, the lfs had me get a bunch of tetras which worked out fine, but tetras were not what I wanted...though I have grown to love them and would get them again. But I have the image of exactly what I want in this tank, and it does not currently include tetras and I don't know what else is hardy enough to cycle.

I hope to complete this tank set up with these fish (37gl):
2 or 3 gold dojo loach
2 dwarf gourami
1 Opaline Gourami
and
1 Singapore flower shrimp

btw, how do you pronounce gourami? Is it g-OUR-ami or g-OR-ami or something else?
 
Can't answer that--I'm good at spelling, but terrible when it comes to saying them out loud. :)

You can fishless cycle without any seeding. It will take a tad longer, but the bacteria will still develop and establish just fine.
 
I would just do a fishless cycle with amonia! I don't think you would need to wait 6 months to use your established tank to help along your new tank, but it sounds like there are still issues, so I would not use the old tank until all signs of anything are gone for at least a few weeks, maybe longer
 
Internal parasites (including ich) create cysts .. those cycts can float around in your tank and sit on the substrate for a very long time just waiting for a good host. A stressed host is a good host for an internal parasite.

Like I said, I wouldn't risk it.
 
Okay, just to clarify--in the specific case of ich, the cysts do not just sit around waiting for a host. They are encysted for a time period that is temperature dependent, but it is not indefinite. Higher temps = quicker hatching, low temps = slower hatching. But, anything past about 2 weeks at normal tropical temps, and there is no way the cyst is still encysted. They could be infecting a fish unseen in the gills, however, which is how ich 'sneaks' into a tank and why so many are convinced that ich is always lurking in all tanks, waiting to strike.

Otherwise, yes, some internal parasites can encyst for longer periods of time, and stressed fish are more likely to become infected.
 
I don't even know if internal parasites was the problem...my platy just started looking skinny or losing color I don't know which, and hiding - normaly he is a very social little guy - but he was still eating, then one day he didn't eat, and that was the only symptom of his that I could really define and my chart said internal parasites for not eating. He did eat after the treatments, but still not perky or in full bright color.

Is there a really good chart out there for determining fish problems?

Oh that was off topic. :)

I won't seed from my old tank.
I will just wait until the bacteria grows on its own.

Thanks.
 
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