Donated Media - How To Use It?

[andynx]

Hi all,

I'm "upgrading" from a (don't laugh!) 15l tropical biorb, to a 90l aqua one AR620 tropical tank - much better.

The new tank is all set-up, full of up to temperature treated water, new filters and the power head running. Of course, there's no fish in there.

Ok, cycling... I have filter media in the biorb (sponge and the ceramic rocky stuff in the biorb), it's all been there ages. How do I use this to short-cut the cycling process? I've looked at the "cycling" posts, and at the "donate media" posts - but no explanation of how to use it (that I could find).

How can I use the established aquarium to help cycle the new one? for the moment, I want to keep the biorb running as well.

TIA!

Andy...

 

[fluttermoth]

Take a third of the media from your Biorb and put in the filter of the new tank. Don't forget to replace the media you've taken so the bacteria can recolonise.

Then you can either;
stock with no more than a quarter of the fish in the Biorb; so if the Biorb had, say, four guppies in it, you could put one in the new tank or
fishless cycle the new tank with ammonia; it'll go much faster than the usual fishless cycle.

Monitor both tanks carefully for the first few days in case of 'mini cycles' (where the bacteria dies off a little from being moved).

 

[andynx]

Take a third of the media from your Biorb and put in the filter of the new tank.

Thanks!

You're referring to the ceramic rocky stuff from the biorb, I assume. And I put this with the ceramic bio ring thingys in the new tank (the new tank has foam, then activated carbon granules, then a carbon foam, then the ceramic bio ring things). Sounds good.

How did you know I had 4 guppies in the biorb? I know that's over-stocked, I just bought the last one at the weekend - in preparation for the new tank.

Ta!

Andy

 

[fluttermoth]

You're referring to the ceramic rocky stuff from the biorb, I assume. And I put this with the ceramic bio ring thingys in the new tank (the new tank has foam, then activated carbon granules, then a carbon foam, then the ceramic bio ring things). Sounds good.

Exactly right

How did you know I had 4 guppies in the biorb?

Spooky!!!