beneficial bacteria

[Pointy_kitty]

how long does it survive?
does it need an airstone to survive?
cause i've had my new tank set up for 3 days (roughly) and i planned on taking socks and filling them with the old gravel and putting them in the new tank

problem is, the tank has not been running in those 3 days
it is half full of water but there is no circulation or airation
is the beneficial bacteria still alive?
and if so, how long do i leave the socks in the new tank for?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I wouldn't think that it will still be alive, not only does it need constant circulation but also a food source. I can live for a small time in a dirty tank with circulation but I don't think it would survive more than a couple of hours without circulation.

 

[Pointy_kitty]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CFC]

I'm afraid cheese specialist is right. Nitrobacter and nitrosoma bacteria starts to die off very rapidly once removed from a food source and more importantly a oxygen source, i would guess in a tank with no fish and no water circulation the colonies would have died off within 24 hours.