sharing cycled water and media with a new system

[ods]

I have a system doing well in my basement, beans starting, and my first pea blossom. Lettuce is really starting to take off, but things are lacking light i think. I have built a grow room off the back of the garage, and want to get a system going there for more natural light, and solar heat. If i move some of my water and medium from my established system, will it help establish the new system? If so is there a percentage of volume suggested? 

Thank You!

[Vlad Jovanovic]

It sure will.

A couple of handfuls of moist media and a bucket of water and you're good to go. You'll basically be using the media from your existing system to "seed" the bacteria in a quick-start fashion...I doubt there is any published 'percentage or volume' type info floating around (nor would that kind of info seem to be necessary IMO)...

You still need to create a hospitable environment for your seeded bacteria to 'go forth and multiply in the new system...So all that cycling process stuff still applies...non-chlorinated water, pH above 7, ammonia at 1 to 4ppm, temps, pumping, blablabla...but you should be up and online in about half the time that it would normally take (maybe less).

[Harold Sukhbir]

Hi ods,

Yea, I've done that a few times. Under ideal conditions, still takes an average 7 days to fully cycle, compared to the 14 odd days without the seeding.

[ods]

Thank You guys, I will make the transfer tomorrow, and begin the monitoring.