3rd Failed Attempt At Media Transfer

[dzsigmond217]

ok..so I followed all the suggestions given to me by member here to tranfer media from 1 tank to another.
I cut out a quarter of my filters sponge in my 29 gallon tank (which house 20 fish) and transferred it to my 7 gallon tank along with 5 fish ( at the same time). But so far my ammonia is .25, my nitrite 0 and my nitrate 0. Doesn't this mean that my tank is cycling? Ugh..I dont get it. Also my ammonia is now 1ppm in my 29 gallon (nitrite 0 & nitrate 10) does this mean my 29 is going through a mini cycle? I feel like an idiot because I can't seem to do this right. What the heck did I do wrong??? Also..I have a whisper hanging filter..does it matter where the sponge is placed inside the filter ie:infront of filter cartridge (facing tank) or behind filter cartridge (facing back of filter & wall) Silly questions, I know..but..
Thanks! Dianne

 

[Gremily]

What tests are you using and how old are they?

 

[OldMan47]

Place the filter piece you are using to seed the filter where the water will go through it before it goes through the permanent. You are trying to transfer the bacteria from the existing piece of cycled filter to the new filter so you want the water to flow in that direction. I think in the case of most HOB filter that means to put it on the side away from the tank. I use canisters so please look and don't trust my memory on which way the water flows.
You may well have started a mini cycle in both tanks but it should clear up quickly if the original tank was well established. Just do lots of partial water changes to keep things healthy while the cycle catches up. I hope you did not leave a gaping hole where the water in the old filter just goes through without being treated. If you did, get a new cartridge for that filter and seed it with the 3/4 piece that you have left in there.

 

[Tolak]

When I do this I fast the tank the media is coming from for 24 hours, and feed both tanks lightly for the next week, about 1/3 the normal amount. Less food means less waste produced.

 

[dzsigmond217]

What tests are you using and how old are they?

I am using API liquid test kits and they are around a month old. I tested one of my tanks and the reading came out right ie:ammonia 0, nitrite 0 & nitrate 20.

Place the filter piece you are using to seed the filter where the water will go through it before it goes through the permanent. You are trying to transfer the bacteria from the existing piece of cycled filter to the new filter so you want the water to flow in that direction. I think in the case of most HOB filter that means to put it on the side away from the tank. I use canisters so please look and don't trust my memory on which way the water flows.
You may well have started a mini cycle in both tanks but it should clear up quickly if the original tank was well established. Just do lots of partial water changes to keep things healthy while the cycle catches up. I hope you did not leave a gaping hole where the water in the old filter just goes through without being treated. If you did, get a new cartridge for that filter and seed it with the 3/4 piece that you have left in there.

Ok..this is going to show how much of a newbie I am
So in laymans terms I should put the sponge housing the bacteria (and NOT the disposable filter cartridge) so that the water hits it first and then goes through the disposable filter cartridge?

 

[backtotropical]

Keep a close eye on ammonia and nitrite levels in both tanks for about a week afterwards. If either becomes apparent, counter it with large water changes. As i said above, the filter won't take long to catch up, so if anything, water changes will be a short-term remedy.

As said, dzsigmond217, you may experience little spikes in either or both tanks afterwards. If you do, counter these spikes with large water changes (50% is a good starting point). Try to keep ammonia and nitrite below 0.25mg/l at all times. The spikes shouldn't last long. How long has it been?

Also, as Tolak pointed out, cutting back feeding will help the filter to catch up quicker.

So in laymans terms I should put the sponge housing the bacteria (and NOT the disposable filter cartridge) so that the water hits it first and then goes through the disposable filter cartridge?

I disagree. The waterflow will not carry any significant amount of bacteria from one lot of media to the next. What is more important is to place the media where the water will flow through it rather than around it. This ensures that the bacteria are well fed by ammonia / nitrite and well oxygenated. This makes for an ideal breeding ground. If the media is floating around in the filter, the water will tend to flow around it instead of through it and will not provide so much oxygen and food to the bacteria.