Mature Gravel

[Aqua Tom]

On the way back from work today i dropped into a LFS that I dont usualy use as its a bit of a drive. The man was realy helpfull & gave me some mature media gravel from one of the tanks.

So now what do i do with it. I have an in tank power filter Interpet PF1.

So do i just chuck the gravel into the tank (it wont match the dark stuff i have in there at the moment), or stick it in an old sock & hang it in the water, or wedge some in the foam filter of my pump?

I am confused.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Ok, what I have done is this.

Took the filter apart & put some gravel between the filter spones.

I also put some into an old trainer sock & have suspended this on the end of some string in the tank next to the filter.




Fingers crossed.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, it can't hurt and by putting some inside the filter you've given yourself the best chance. Unfortunately though, its good to realize that gravel from tanks (even LFS well used tanks) will not have nearly as much bacteria as material from the inside of a filter. So this is not really the equivalent of what we call "mature media" in that sense. But heck! Anything helps!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Aqua Tom]

Yes, it can't hurt and by putting some inside the filter you've given yourself the best chance. Unfortunately though, its good to realize that gravel from tanks (even LFS well used tanks) will not have nearly as much bacteria as material from the inside of a filter. So this is not really the equivalent of what we call "mature media" in that sense. But heck! Anything helps!

~~waterdrop~~

All the lfs filters are undergravel jobbies so he could not give me any sponge. But its better than nothing. Hopefully will be getting a piece of sponge soon.

 

[waterdrop]

If his are undergravel then his gravel will have even more bacteria hopefully. WD

 

[OldMan47]

If your LFS is using undergravel filters, you have received a sample of filter media, not simply gravel. If you think of it that way, you will use it appropriately to begin the cycling process on your filter, as it seems you have done. Stay with it and you will be cycled soon enough if you have introduced a generous sample of that filter media donation to your new filter.