Pond Water?

[pugwash666]

I know this is probably a daft question but i will ask anyway.I have a 4 week tank that is not cycled yet.My mother has a very established pond in her garden.Can you not take some of the water out of the pond for a water change or good bacteria.I am only asking,i am not going to do.But could someone advise on whether it is a good or bad idea.Thanks.

 

[minxfishy]

The water holds very little if any good bacteria needed for cycling, the bacteria is in the filter media (sponges, balls etc), so it wouldnt really do any good, however, if she had a filter on her pond, the taking some of the sponge or whatever media is in the filter, would be a very good idea.

 

[pugwash666]

Oh,so that would be alright then,some sponge from the filter,i do not have to test for anything first though?

 

[minxfishy]

Assuming your mothers pond is healthy then yes go for it. If shes had any disease in the last two months no then as some could survive in the media.

 

[waterdrop]

No, do not have to test. The rule is to not take more than 1/3 of her media or it might lower her colony too much, but of course that would not be likely as her filter is proabably much bigger physically than yours and you only need a fairly small amount anyway, as its going to serve as an "inoculant." So how much is enough? Hard do describe but I'd guess a cubic inch of sponge would be a good start, getting better to the extent you could do more. The trick is to maintain the "mechanical integrity" in both filters. Hopefully the meaning of that is obvious. Sponges in particular are designed to be firmly fitted to their space so that water can "find a way 'round", and yet sponges also need to not be crushed or they lose the porous spacing that makes them into good debris trapping devices and allows water to carry oxygen and ammonia past the bacteria that reside on their surfaces.

~~waterdrop~~