Bacteria Growth

[ponyo]

If a tank has been running for a few months without a filter will there be enough bacteria on the gravel and decorations to make a cycle quicker once a filter is added?

I've got a betta in a 21l tank, not had a filter in as he doesn't like the current of it so I've been doing frequent water changes. I want to put him in a bigger tank and hopefully add a few tank mates so will need to add a filter. Just hoping that the cycle may be speeded up if there's already bacteria in the tank.

 

[the_lock_man]

If a tank has been running for a few months without a filter will there be enough bacteria on the gravel and decorations to make a cycle quicker once a filter is added?

I've got a betta in a 21l tank, not had a filter in as he doesn't like the current of it so I've been doing frequent water changes. I want to put him in a bigger tank and hopefully add a few tank mates so will need to add a filter. Just hoping that the cycle may be speeded up if there's already bacteria in the tank.

Probably not. The bacteria like a good flow of water over them, which is why they colonise the filter media, not anywhere else in a filtered tank. I think you'd be best to follow a standard fishless cycle regime when you get the new tank.

 

[CezzaXV]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but this is something I've been wondering about - what if you added some mature media to an unfiltered tank? (Question, not a suggestion!)

 

[Fishy friend2]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but this is something I've been wondering about - what if you added some mature media to an unfiltered tank? (Question, not a suggestion!)

IMHO i dont think that it will work, because their is no way for te water to somehow be flowing through the media. When it just sits in one place i dont think it will be much help , because no water is flowing though it..... i think