Seeding New Sponge Filter

[supershamus]

If i plonk an air driven sponge type filter in a fully matured tank, roughly how long before it could be removed to filter a small (15-20 gal) - would be filled with matured tank water. Thanks in anticipation of any replies.

 

[balajake]

It's the filter pads that hold the good bacteria not the tank I'm afraid. You need to fill the new filter with some of the gunky filter floss from your old filter to seed it. Water won't do anything .

This is why we never throw our pads away and only clean them lightly in old tank water. So we don't kill the good bacteria that cycles ammonia and nitrite into less toxic nitrate.

 

[supershamus]

Thats odd (thanks for the reply) i thought that was the idea in using a sponge filter (it is all sponge and air driven), guess i am not understanding

 

[Lolly123]

A mature filter holds all of the 'good' bacteria within the sponges. Placing new pads in the water column of a mature tank will not do very much at all, if anything. You have to take some fully cycled and established filter sponge from the old filter and place some within the new filter to seed it. This will give you a kick start. If there are elements of this process you don't understand, this is a great place to get to grips with what you need to know.

 

[supershamus]

Think my initial question is being misunderstood. I fully understand the principals involved in seeding a new filter (been keeping fish for something like 40 yrs

) This is the first time i have considered using an air driven foam/sponge filter. As i understand it detrius etc is drawn into the foam/foam and then breaks down causing bacteria to grow. There are no pads involved. Hope this clarifies

 

[Mikey1]

your exsisting filter will still be doing most of the work, so it will take alot longer than just cycling the new tank on its own.....to answer the question though i would say 6-8 weeks, during that time DO NOT rinse the filter at all

 

[balajake]

Can't say I've used one of those. They look weird, are they any good ?

 

[supershamus]

Thanks for the replies, to last post, i have read reports that they are good, especially for fry tanks but as i say never used one before, be interested in any replies from people who have used them.

 

[fluttermoth]

I keep the sponge from one in my external filter. I then have it ready and cycled, if I ever need to set up a hospital/quarantine/fry tank in a hurry.

They are very good filters for things like fry and shrimps.

You really do need to get it in contact with your already cycled filter media to get the bacteria to spread out onto it though. At a pinch, you could set it up in your main tank, and then squeeze your cycled filter media out into the tank. It'll make a bit of a mess, of course, but the sponge filter should pick up enough bacteria to get it started.

 

[Mikey1]

Thanks for the replies, to last post, i have read reports that they are good, especially for fry tanks but as i say never used one before, be interested in any replies from people who have used them.

i use them all the time, they are excellent and last a lifetime, just rinse every 4-6 weeks

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Drop the new sponge into the cycled tank and let it run for a couple of weeks. Bacteria will colonize it. The thing to realize is that the total bacteria in the established tank will not change much, it will just end up spreading to the new sponge as it will be a more hospitable home for the bacteria than the existing filter. This is because all media naturally clogs over time which means parts of it become less habitable. One the other hand the flow through the new sponge creates a very nice place for bacteria to live.

What happens as some bacteria die off in the mature filter, a few bacteria will find their way to the new sponge and finding it to be a nice home will use the available food in the tank to create a new group. After a couple of weeks you should have sufficient bacteria built up in the new sponge than you can move it over to help jump start the cycle in your new tank.

You can also move substrate or other decor over and also get a jump start that way. Contrary to what one reads on many aquarium sites, a bunch of one's bacteria will be found outside of one's filter(s) in most tanks.

The actual bacteria end up living in a bio-film and not in the water. The action of current combined with how the film forms allows bits of it to be sheared off and these bits form the basis for the bacteria colonizing other areas of the tank. This is also how the bacteria initially get into one's tanks when no seeding is done. The bio-film containing the bacteria are all over the water supply system and household plumbing.

Many of my tanks use sponges in some fashion, especially those for breeding and grow out. What I discovered is when there is a power outage or power blink, power filters may not restart for various reasons, but the air pump or blower will and that means the sponge filters will as well.

There is no need to move over the water in terms of the nitrifying bacteria. Solid surfaces are where they live.

 

[Mamashack]

On this topic, I will soon be getting a bigger tank for my platies - now have 7 including 5 fry from 3-8 weeks old from an original pair of adults. When I get the new tank (60L) I was planning to use the sponge from my existing filter and place it next to the new filter so that it is held in place against the tank wall for a few weeks. I will transfer the gravel and plants etc. Am considering keeping the old tank (27L) as a quarantine tank, but how do I make sure that it is still habitable. Should I run both filters in the new tank all the time and then transfer one as needed? Hope I don't need to use the old tank for poorly fish but best to be prepared I guess.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Hospital tanks are used for short periods and need not be cycled. They need heat and air and regular water changes. Many meds kill of the bacteria, if the fish dies instead of coming out cured, everything should be bleached before being reused. Using a strong enough solution and long enough soak to kill off nasties will also kill off the good ones.

 

[Mamashack]

Hospital tanks are used for short periods and need not be cycled. They need heat and air and regular water changes. Many meds kill of the bacteria, if the fish dies instead of coming out cured, everything should be bleached before being reused. Using a strong enough solution and long enough soak to kill off nasties will also kill off the good ones.

 
Didin't realise a hospital tank wouldn't need to be cycled. Sorry to be thick, but how strong is strong enough and how long is long enough?

 

[Dubfellas]

I have a sponge filter. Iv recently bought a eheim 2010 internal filter. How would i Transfer the bacteria from the sponge filter to the new filter? Would i cut peices of the sponge up an put it in with the sponge in the internal filter? And if so how long would i have to leave the sponge filter in the tank with the internal filter before i can remove the sponge filter? Hope this makes sense