Helping A New Small Tank Cycle With Established Media

[magpie]

Hey there,

I currently have a 65 gallon planted tank, and just got a 15 gallon tank for the PT clinic that I work at.

I do plan on having live plants in the 15 gallon, which I know makes the cycling much quicker, but I know that I can also use some established media from my current tank.
My 65 gallon has an Eheim external canister filter. Should I just take out one of the pads, put in a new one, and then put that in the filter for the new tank?

Or is there a better / different way? Use a little bit of the ceramic media? And then how long do I keep whatever I put in there, in there?

Thanks!

 

[Fishy friend2]

I would take a 1/3 of the media instead of taking all of it as if you do then, there won't be any bacteria for the older tank

 

[magpie]

When you say media, do you mean the ceramic media or the pads/sponges/floss (whatever you want to call them)?


Edit: I see your avatar and signature... I'm getting a male Betta Splendens for the tank, and probably some salt and pepper cories. Mayyyybe also some ember tetras or some kind of rasbora. I'm thinking of adding the betta last.

I'm hoping that we can do a little Betta care education at the clinic if they see them in a nice setup and we have a little "please don't put me in a cup" type of educational sign.

 

[Fishy friend2]

I mean pads, as I don't know if the ceramic stuff actually holds filter bacteria

 

[magpie]

Thanks! I think it does.... but if that will work that will be easier and cheaper.

 

[Fishy friend2]

Well If current goes through it then it most likely does, as the with water from the tank flowing through it a nice supply of ammonia will be provided. So it most likely does if current goes through it, you can use either if you want pads or ceramic

When you say media, do you mean the ceramic media or the pads/sponges/floss (whatever you want to call them)?


Edit: I see your avatar and signature... I'm getting a male Betta Splendens for the tank, and probably some salt and pepper cories. Mayyyybe also some ember tetras or some kind of rasbora. I'm thinking of adding the betta last.

I'm hoping that we can do a little Betta care education at the clinic if they see them in a nice setup and we have a little "please don't put me in a cup" type of educational sign.

Sounds like a great stocking! I bet it would look very nice.
And yeah, it would be good to spread the word about not keeping bettas in too small tanks, but unfortunately some people are too ingorant to take the advice

 

[magpie]

Thinking about logistics.... my smaller tank will be at work, which is about 25 minutes away from my house. Does the bacteria need to stay at a very warm temperature to stay alive? Or is it okay as long as it stays wet in the previous tank's water?

 

[fluttermoth]

The bacteria are quite hardy and a 25 minute juorney will be no problem, as long as the media stays wet.

Anything from your filter that's more than six weeks old will do for seeding the new filter; as it's going from a large tank to a small tank that's not going to be very heavily stocked, you should be able to add fish straight away; you'll just have to do a little bit of maths to work out how much of a bioload the media can cope with.

For example, if your big tank had 30 neons in it, an you took a third of the media, you could add six or eight (you always err on the side of caution) to the 15g straight away.

Don't forget that you need to add an ammonia source (either fish, or ammonia, or fish food) to the new tank within a couple of days, or the bacteria will starve

 

[magpie]

So if I just get a new white pad for the eheim (which it probably needs anyway) I could just use that then, right?

Just want to be sure I'm doing this right!

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, although some of the ceramic media would be good as well; floss isn't the best media for bacteria to grow on.

 

[magpie]

Ok, will do, thanks!

 

[magpie]

I'm doing this today... should I take a bunch of water also from my established tank? Will that help, or no?

I'm also taking some floating plants.

 

[fluttermoth]

No, water won't help; the bacteria cling quite strongly onto the filter media so there's a miniscule amount loose in the water column.

 

[magpie]

Great, thank you.