Filter Media Advice Needed

[willowstwin]

Hi All

Me and my mum are thinking about getting my nephew a little tank for his bedroom, to keep shrimp and (only if big enough) a Betta. I was thinking though... if I buy the tank and filter etc, take out the filter sponge and wedge it in my filter for about 6 weeks, do you think the culture will have grown enough onto this sponge to cycle the small tank? Obviously I would dose with ammonia and check it before putting anything in it, but do you think this is a good idea? Also, would this damage the efficiency of my filter once I take it out?

Thanks in advance
Willow

 

[the_lock_man]

Hi All

Me and my mum are thinking about getting my nephew a little tank for his bedroom, to keep shrimp and (only if big enough) a Betta. I was thinking though... if I buy the tank and filter etc, take out the filter sponge and wedge it in my filter for about 6 weeks, do you think the culture will have grown enough onto this sponge to cycle the small tank? Obviously I would dose with ammonia and check it before putting anything in it, but do you think this is a good idea? Also, would this damage the efficiency of my filter once I take it out?

Thanks in advance
Willow

I saw the other thread - you're looking at 18-20l, yes?

You can do it your way, and it will take at least 6 weeks, from what I understand.

What I did was to take some of the mature media from my larger tank, and put it in the filter of the new smaller tank, and replace it with the new media from the new tank. If you take a maximum of a third of your mature media, the bacteria colony will grow to replace the lost bacteria - which is why you replace the media with new - it gives the bacteria somewhere to grow into.

If you do that, you may well find that you have enough bacteria in the new filter to instantly cycle for the single betta. The alternative, of course, is to then go through a fishless cycle with it. The trick is knowing where you've landed in the cycle process with the mature media.