Storing Mature Filter Media

[LellowFish]

I'm thinking of buying a new filter as the current one is old and convered in algae. I don't think the case or media have been cleaned since my fiance's mother bought the tank years ago. Anyway, I was wondering if I bought a new filter and took one of the media from the old filter and put it in the new one with a new media, could I store the second mature media somehow? If so, how?

Sorry if that sounded a little confusing. I don't know how to make it simpler

 

[Miss Wiggle]

you mean to keep the bacteria alive on the media?

to do that it needs to be kept wet with dechlorinated water, it needs a regular ammonia source and to have well oxygenated water flowing through it.

basically it needs to either be kept in a fishtank with fish in, or in a tank that's having ammonia added like a fishless cycle.

you could muddle through for a few days without it being in a filter but the bacteria won't stay alive indefinately.

 

[LellowFish]

That's exactly what I was trying to say! Thank you for the advice, Miss Wiggle!