Morning all,
After a little advice. I currently have a 20 gallon tank going through a fishless cycle. Ammonia has started to drop and nitrites have appeared so looking good.
My question is about filter media to use in a quarantine tank. My main tank is running an internal filter, picture attached. The filter media it takes won't be compatible with a sponge filter. I want to get a cheap sponge filter to put in a quarantine tank for new arrivals once the main tank is up and running. Obviously the new sponge filter will need to in the established tank in order to itself become cycled for when I put it in the quarantine tank as and when required. I can find space for it in the main tank, tucked away behind some plants and so on. My question is: does it need to be running? Obviously it will need to be running when I place it in the quarantine tank but when placing it in the main tank to be seeded with the beneficial bacteria, is it ok to just leave it? I assume the sponge will act as something of a natural breeding ground for the bacteria anyway? I already have an air pump in the main tank and don't want to add another one if it can be avoided.
I'm also guessing that if I left the sponge filter in there "turned off" for when I need it for the quarantine tank, I wouldn't need to change it monthly as I will for the main filter, as it isn't doing the actual filter job and the entire point is to let the bacteria build up there?
One final question while I'm here. In terms of the main filter for the main tank, it has two filter media cartridges which are to be changed alternately to preserve the bacteria. So on week 4 one cartridge is changed, week 6 the other, week 8 the first, week 10 the other etc. Should I start counting down the weeks to changing the cartridge from when the tank is cycled and the first fish introduced, or from when they first when in the tank to start the cycle?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Matt.
After a little advice. I currently have a 20 gallon tank going through a fishless cycle. Ammonia has started to drop and nitrites have appeared so looking good.
My question is about filter media to use in a quarantine tank. My main tank is running an internal filter, picture attached. The filter media it takes won't be compatible with a sponge filter. I want to get a cheap sponge filter to put in a quarantine tank for new arrivals once the main tank is up and running. Obviously the new sponge filter will need to in the established tank in order to itself become cycled for when I put it in the quarantine tank as and when required. I can find space for it in the main tank, tucked away behind some plants and so on. My question is: does it need to be running? Obviously it will need to be running when I place it in the quarantine tank but when placing it in the main tank to be seeded with the beneficial bacteria, is it ok to just leave it? I assume the sponge will act as something of a natural breeding ground for the bacteria anyway? I already have an air pump in the main tank and don't want to add another one if it can be avoided.
I'm also guessing that if I left the sponge filter in there "turned off" for when I need it for the quarantine tank, I wouldn't need to change it monthly as I will for the main filter, as it isn't doing the actual filter job and the entire point is to let the bacteria build up there?
One final question while I'm here. In terms of the main filter for the main tank, it has two filter media cartridges which are to be changed alternately to preserve the bacteria. So on week 4 one cartridge is changed, week 6 the other, week 8 the first, week 10 the other etc. Should I start counting down the weeks to changing the cartridge from when the tank is cycled and the first fish introduced, or from when they first when in the tank to start the cycle?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Matt.
