Can I Use Old Filter Media

[boxcar]

i bought a second hand nano tank the other day that i'm going to move my betta into and i have it all cleaned out and have my plants ordered etc but i'm having second thoughts if i can still use the filter media/sponge that came with the filter or not,or if i have to buy a new one.i was going to run the filter in my existing tank until the plants arrive to hopefully start the bacteria process but i don't want to risk my tank getting infected or anything from the old filter media.the guy i bought the tank from said that it hadnt been up and running for a few months.would it be ok just to give the old media a good rinse and start it in my existing tank
 
cheers for any help,

 

[misterpro]

If you're worried about it drop that media/sponge in a pot of boiling water.
 
Also, adding the filter to a tank that already has one doesn't really seed it (fast).  It would be way quicker moving the matured media to the "new" filter, if possible.

 

[the_lock_man]

I wouldn't boil it, because I would suspect that would damage the bacteria.
 
The bacteria will probably be dormant, how long they take to revitalise when they starting feeling ammonia again will vary on how long they've been dormant, and how dry they've been. If you do a fishless cycle, you will probably find that the process takes a little less time than expected.
 
If you do a fish-in cycle, you probably wouldn't notice a great deal of difference, to be honest.

 

[misterpro]

I wouldn't boil it, because I would suspect that would damage the bacteria.
...

 
Would there be any after a few months of being dried out?  I thought nitrifying bacteria couldn't survive drying at all (because they don't form spores).  Am I saying something stupid?
 
*edit* -  Nevermind.  The heterotrophic ones can.  The autotrophic ones can't.  I Thought it was both.

 

[KittyKat]

Given that you have a cycled filter, then I would prioritise disinfecting the used media that came with the new filter and would seed it heavily from the cycled filter.
 
When I buy a used filter, I normally bleach the old filter housing using thin bleach (it's fragrance free) and water, then soak it in vinegar and water to remove traces of bleach, then soak it in tap water to remove traces of vinegar. I then throw away the wool from the filter and replace it with porous ceramic media out of my main display tank.
 
I also disinfect the tank as well and all the decor that I'm keeping because it's never possible to tell whether the previous fish died of disease.

 

[boxcar]

thanks for all the quick responses guys.much appreciated