Maturing A Filter

[New-FishBoy]

Hey,

How long would you have to leave media, let's say a sponge filter, in an already mature tank for a bacterial colony to start to grow on it?

 

[fishprotector]

At least two weeks, but possibly slightly longer.

 

[Moby-Krib]

Hey,

How long would you have to leave media, let's say a sponge filter, in an already mature tank for a bacterial colony to start to grow on it?

What do you intend to use it for??
A better approach may be to put the sponge filter into the tank intended for and then give a good squeeze of good mature sponge or 2 into that tank.. Almost instant cycle this way.
piggybacking in another tank takes to long and will likely still need a bit of culturing after.

 

[4seasons]

A much better method would be to take 1/3 of the media from an established filter and add it to the filter that you want to grow bacteria and replace the 1/3 with new media in the old filter.
Direct contact with mature media is much faster than just being in the same tank.

 

[Moby-Krib]

A much better method would be to take 1/3 of the media from an established filter and add it to the filter that you want to grow bacteria and replace the 1/3 with new media in the old filter.
Direct contact with mature media is much faster than just being in the same tank.

Well the op did specify a sponge filter. For a canister that method would be perfect.

 

[fluttermoth]

I keep sponges for sponge filters in my externals so they're always there, cycled, if I need them in a hurry. You could put them in an internal, would work just as well.

If the main tank is running on a sponge filter as well, then you can stack them up so they're touching.

 

[4seasons]

A much better method would be to take 1/3 of the media from an established filter and add it to the filter that you want to grow bacteria and replace the 1/3 with new media in the old filter.
Direct contact with mature media is much faster than just being in the same tank.

Well the op did specify a sponge filter. For a canister that method would be perfect.

I use a housing that my sponges sit in. I have used this to transfer bacteria from a 1/3 of a sponge. I have never used a free floating sponge kinda forgot the even exist. I guess that wouldn't work so well with powerhead driven sponge.