Bioseeding is the fastest way to completely control “nitrogen issues” in aquariums and even ponds. You transplant “good germs” (Ammonia-eaters) from one tank to another.
Our favorite place to get Bioseed is just the bank of a fish-filled river, pond or even a swamp. Just fill a bucket halfway with loamy, earthy-fishy-smelling mud and then fill it the rest of the way with the water.You can just as easily get bioseed from an established system with fish in it. In this image, a Bead Filter (Aquadyne) is being backwashed and some of the supernatant (backwash waste) (aka Bioseed) is being captured for use.After the bucket sits for 20-30 minutes, you can decant some of the water off the bucket into the recipient system. It’s important to add enough bioseeded material to create significant clouding and murkiness in the tank WITHOUT obscuring the fish. Ideally, actually, you would do this BEFORE introducing any fish.This is about how murky you should make the recipient system with material / bioseed. If you want to be even safer, you can use 1/8th inch “air line” and simply siphon a small amount of material into the new tank slowly over an hour or two.
Undergravel filters, and sponge filters are well adapted to handling bioseeding.
If the water is cloudy but otherwise healthy, OR you “bioseed” and the water does NOT clear overnight; then the investment in a large sponge filter and some Tetra Pond Water Clarifier would be a good idea.
