New Tank - Old Media

[Steve H.]

Hi all! Just a quick question to see if my thinking is correct here.
I plan on starting a new tank project using 1/3 of the filter media from my ready established tank.
I just added an extra sponge to my filter to facilitate this when my question occured to me. By adding an extra sponge at this point will it in fact support new bacterial growth?
I'm second guessing this because with bacterial growth doesn't Ammonia production = consumption? So, if this is the case the bacterial colony I currently have won't grow any larger...unless more ammonia is supplied by like adding more fish.
Is my thinking correct here? Or will the newly added sponge actually establish some bacterial colony?

Thanks!

 

[minnnt]

In a round about way you are correct.

 

[Akasha72]

I've just done the same thing. The new sponge had been inside the filter about 2 weeks when I moved it into my new tank (along with another one too) it was already discoloured so my view would be that it was already growing bacteria of it's own without any new fish been added

 

[Steve H.]

In a round about way you are correct.

Round about meaning? The new sponge wont be helpful here?

 

[XeroTolerance]

The new added sponge will grow a bacteria colony, but a lot faster than normal because it is already in a cycled tank I presume.

 

[waterdrop]

I think a number of things may be getting slightly confused here. It is a well established thing that using 1/3 of your mature media (typically your sponge) to help jumpstart a fishless or fish-in cycle in a new tank is a good fraction. The reason this is chosen is because the 2/3 that is left is just enough to keep the established tank running smoothly.

Now the 1/3 that goes to the new tank is supposed to be some of your oldest, best established media. Typically you would take scissors to a sponge and cut and take 1/3. You would cut 1/3 of a new sponge and put it in to replace what was taken. You wouldn't ideally want to take a new piece of sponge that had only been in the mature filter for a few weeks because it can take months for significant amounts of bacterial colonies to establish their biofilms on new sponge. Obviously sponge that had been for a while would be better than nothing but it wouldn't be as good as part of your old sponge.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Steve H.]

I think a number of things may be getting slightly confused here. It is a well established thing that using 1/3 of your mature media (typically your sponge) to help jumpstart a fishless or fish-in cycle in a new tank is a good fraction. The reason this is chosen is because the 2/3 that is left is just enough to keep the established tank running smoothly.

Now the 1/3 that goes to the new tank is supposed to be some of your oldest, best established media. Typically you would take scissors to a sponge and cut and take 1/3. You would cut 1/3 of a new sponge and put it in to replace what was taken. You wouldn't ideally want to take a new piece of sponge that had only been in the mature filter for a few weeks because it can take months for significant amounts of bacterial colonies to establish their biofilms on new sponge. Obviously sponge that had been for a while would be better than nothing but it wouldn't be as good as part of your old sponge.

~~waterdrop~~

Another "ah ha!" moment in my brief fish keeping experience! Thanks Waterdrop.
So, my thinking was somewhat reasonable...in that round about way that Minnt was talking about.

I am going to come to the conclusion that I can go ahead and leave the new sponge in right now, and when I am ready to start my new tank just be sure to use 1/3 of the oldest media I have in the filter to help start the cycle.

Thanks again!

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, now ya got it. Good work for seeking advice. WD