Can You Keep Bacteria Alive With No Heat.

[Tiger Tiger]

In my garage which is freezing at the moment i have a tank. I want it to be mature all the time whilst i build an extension to the house which should take until March.
Its a 50 galon tank but unless i put a 300 watt in it ( and waste leccy) it keeps it around the 70F mark.

Suppose i where to just keep the filter running in freezing water would the bacteria still be alive in 3 months time?

 

[WILDER]

Bacteria dies in freezing water.
Also bacteria dosn't multiply as fast in cooler temps.

 

[minxfishy]

Filter bacteria in pond filters and other coldwater tanks stays alive, so I see no reason so long as it has a source of ammonia that the bacteria would die off.

My mistake then, Wilder is more likely right, just wasnt assuming you meant for it to totally freeze, just thought normal temps in the garage cold.

 

[Keithoms]

Ive just got to say here, you avatar is soooo cuuteee....

 

[WILDER]

Not 100% sure minxfishy you could be right.
After winter I'm sure I read somewhere that ponds have to cycle again.

 

[minxfishy]

I Know bacteria multiply much quicker in warmer conditions (hence why we whack up the temp in fishless cycling), so it makes sense that it wont multiply as quickly in the cold and that totally frozen it would die off completely.

OP can you clarify what temp you are going to be keeping this tank at, is it just that it wont have a heater for 3 months during the winter but will be in the garage, which would be cold, sure, but not frozen, or that you think it will definately freeze over?

 

[WILDER]

I would run the heater it can't cost that much to have it on. Plus you will need to keep the benefical bacteria alive by adding a source of ammonia.

Another problem, these two very important bacterium does not really grow in the winter. When the water temperature heats up in summer, the fish eat more, produces more ammonia, but the beneficial bacterium has not grown yet to sort out the Ammonia and Nitrites. This explains that most major outbreak of infections and poisoning in ponds happens in spring.

 

[Tiger Tiger]

I would run the heater it can't cost that much to have it on. Plus you will need to keep the benefical bacteria alive by adding a source of ammonia.

Another problem, these two very important bacterium does not really grow in the winter. When the water temperature heats up in summer, the fish eat more, produces more ammonia, but the beneficial bacterium has not grown yet to sort out the Ammonia and Nitrites. This explains that most major outbreak of infections and poisoning in ponds happens in spring.

It would never freeze. the temperature would be down to about 5C at its coldest.

Maybe just a 100 watt heater might do the trick

 

[jnms]

Why would it never freeze?

 

[Tiger Tiger]

The garage is connected to the side of the house and here in England water in such a large tank under cover would never freeze. It's not cold enough to freeze it over where it is situated. There is never frost on the car which is situated in the garage no matter how cold it gets.

last night was cold and the water was 6C . I have put a 100 watt in there which atleast warms it up if only by a few degrees.
I se no reason why it should kill the bacteia off completely. A couple of cloud minnows might keep the process going as they can almost live in freezing cold water

 

[minxfishy]

With only a few WCMM in there it wont be enough to sustain the bacteria, you would be better off, just adding some ammonia daily or some fish flakes like a fishless cycle to keep it going. Providing it has enough ammonia to live on the bacteria should be ok, when you go to use it, warm it up to temp, keep adding the ammonia/flakes for a week and it should have grown enough bacteria again to cope with fish.

 

[Schmill]

Being a Uk based previous pond owner, one of the biggest issues with a pond is that over winter the bacteria in the filter does die off. The water never freezes in the filter box because it is constantly moving, but when spring comes you do effectively 'fish-in' cycle your pond filter, of course with a pond the effects are negligable because of the much greater volume of water in comparrison to fish, (in most cases).

 

[Tiger Tiger]

I think i am probaly being a 'Humbug'


That should do it i hope.

Maybe if it's warm enough i could put a cichlid or catfish in there that can perhaps can live in a low 70's conditions.

Any suggestions

 

[petertr]

If there is a 300W heater available, you can always turn it down to a lower temperature. What the minimum on there, 20C?

 

[OldMan47]

If you are not putting all of your tanks outside, mount the filter to a tank that will stay warm. You are risking the whole tank by leaving it full of water in a place that get freezing temperatures. If you are going to store it in freezing temps, it needs to be empty.