If I want to start up a new tank by seeding it with some crud-covered filter sponge from another tank, how much sponge will I need? A big chunk or just a small section? Of course I'm not going to then immediately put a whole load of fish in there, but I'll have to put a couple in or the bacteria in the crud-covered sponge will have no food source. I am unable to run a fishless cycle as the new inhabitants will be coming out of a damaged tank and I can't have both running at the same time.
Tank Seeding
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Can you take your filter out of your damaged tank and put it into the new tank? That would be the best option.
If not, take as much media from the old filter as you can.
by the sounds of it, you're basically moving all your fish from the damaged tank into the new? If so then move all of your filter media into the new filter if you can, or the whole filter if possible.
If not, take as much media from the old filter as you can.
by the sounds of it, you're basically moving all your fish from the damaged tank into the new? If so then move all of your filter media into the new filter if you can, or the whole filter if possible.
I can't move the filter media from the damaged tank, because it's a possible reservoir of fish TB infection. The sponge is coming from a third tank which I am currently housing axolotls in. What happened is this:
1. Fish in the tank started dying of what I'm pretty sure is fish TB.
2. When there were only a couple of healthy fish and some amano shrimp left in the tank, I accidentally damaged the glass to the extent that I need to get a new tank.
3. I took out the healthy fish and they have been homed elsewhere.
4. The damaged tank now has only amano shrimps in it. As I understand it, it's highly likely that the bacteria which caused the infection could be lurking anywhere in the tank, so the only decor being transferred is that which I can sterilise.
5. I can't set up the new tank before taking down the old one as it needs to occupy the same space, which precludes running a fishless cycle. The plan is to put the amanos in a bucket while I switch tanks and then put them in the new tank with some seeded filter sponge.
6. The bioload of the amanos alone is not enough to kick up the cycling to the level where it would keep all the seeded media alive, so I plan to put one or two small fish in to gradually boost the cycle, without letting the ammonia get too high and harm the amanos.
7. After this stocking has settled, more new fish will gradually be introduced.
The axolotl tank I'm getting the filter sponge from has had no contact with anything in the infected tank.
1. Fish in the tank started dying of what I'm pretty sure is fish TB.
2. When there were only a couple of healthy fish and some amano shrimp left in the tank, I accidentally damaged the glass to the extent that I need to get a new tank.
3. I took out the healthy fish and they have been homed elsewhere.
4. The damaged tank now has only amano shrimps in it. As I understand it, it's highly likely that the bacteria which caused the infection could be lurking anywhere in the tank, so the only decor being transferred is that which I can sterilise.
5. I can't set up the new tank before taking down the old one as it needs to occupy the same space, which precludes running a fishless cycle. The plan is to put the amanos in a bucket while I switch tanks and then put them in the new tank with some seeded filter sponge.
6. The bioload of the amanos alone is not enough to kick up the cycling to the level where it would keep all the seeded media alive, so I plan to put one or two small fish in to gradually boost the cycle, without letting the ammonia get too high and harm the amanos.
7. After this stocking has settled, more new fish will gradually be introduced.
The axolotl tank I'm getting the filter sponge from has had no contact with anything in the infected tank.
The bigger the piece the better for kickstarting a cycle. Where are the fish now? If housed by a friend, getting some extra media from them would help, and you could add more fish at the beginning. Certainly you'll need to keep a close eye on it for a while, but I believe it would be just fine with no hiccups, only one or two water changes at most. An established colony can roughly double every 12-24 hours.
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