Quick Question

[fatheadminnow]

I added all my mature filter media from my Aquaclear 20 to my Aquaclear 70. Along with the Aquaclear 70 foam and bio-max insert.

My question is, how long will it take for the bacteria from the mature filter media take to transfer to the Aquaclear 70 inserts?

How many weeks showed I wait before taking out the mature filter media form the Aquaclear 20?

I want to get another tank going, but need the filter media from the Aquaclear 20 to do so.

Thanks!
-FHM

 

[Socks]

I'd leave it in for a month.......or actually I'd probably forget about it until slowed down and I need to clean the filter.

 

[fatheadminnow]

I'd leave it in for a month.......or actually I'd probably forget about it until slowed down and I need to clean the filter.

Okay...that is what I thinking about...a month.

Thanks!
-FHM

 

[Inchworm]

Hi fatheadminnow

Since you didn't say one way or the other, let me comment that you need to have all the fish that was supporting the original filter in the tank to continue feeding the bacteria, or the colony will die back to the size required for fewer fish.

I would think a month would do the trick, but realize that not all the bacteria will jump from one media to another. It would be more likely that when you remove it from the new filter, they will have divided themselves between them. Once you remove it, the bacteria in the big filter will rapidly increase to make up for the loss, but you will have to watch it closely until you're sure it's happened.

 

[StatMan]

Hi fatheadminnow

Since you didn't say one way or the other, let me comment that you need to have all the fish that was supporting the original filter in the tank to continue feeding the bacteria, or the colony will die back to the size required for fewer fish.

I would think a month would do the trick, but realize that not all the bacteria will jump from one media to another. It would be more likely that when you remove it from the new filter, they will have divided themselves between them. Once you remove it, the bacteria in the big filter will rapidly increase to make up for the loss, but you will have to watch it closely until you're sure it's happened.

I have seen answers similar to above about needinig to keep the fish level the same severla times on other threads.

My question is if you had no fish in the tank but were trying to speed up the cycling process could you add the relevant amount of ammonia to the tank to bring it up to 5ppm each day similar to the fishless cylce instead?

StatMan

 

[backtotropical]

My question is if you had no fish in the tank but were trying to speed up the cycling process could you add the relevant amount of ammonia to the tank to bring it up to 5ppm each day similar to the fishless cylce instead?

Yes you can. The reason for needing the fish is that the bacteria require ammonia / nitrite to feed on. If they don't have this food, they start to die off. The fish produce this ammonia / nitrite which the bacteria needs. No fish means no ammonia production, and the bacteria starts to die.

If you move all the fish over, the same amount of ammonia will be produced and so the bacteria colony will remain the same size. If you move half the fish over, half the ammonia will be produced and so half the bacteria will die off due to lack of food. The size of the bacteria population is strictly driven by the amount of ammonia available.

More ammonia = More bacteria

Less ammonia = Less bacteria

This is the reason why you will read that it is important to move all the fish over at the same time as the filter.

The bacteria don't have a preference for ammonia produced by fish or ammonia from a bottle, so adding bottled ammonia instead of fish does the same job (this is the same concept which underpins why fishless cycling works).

The thing to be careful of when using bottled ammonia is not to add too much. At levels of around 8ppm upwards, a different bacteria is encouraged and will effectively uncycle the filter. However, keep levels at bewtween 0 - 5ppm, then everything should be absolutely fine.

Hope that helps.

BTT