Using filter material to cycle tank

[glolite]

Actually the title is misleading. I've put a new filter in a mature tank to cycle it for a new tank. Does anyone know how long the filter will take to mature?

 

[rdd1952]

I'm not certain how long it will take. The best way to do it though is to just wait till you are ready to start the new tank and then take the existing filter out of the established tank and put it in the new one. Then you can simply put the new flter in the old tank. That's no different than a normal filter change for your established tank and gets a good, bacteria clad filter in your new tank.

 

[Bloo]

Huh ?
So are you suggesting to take the entire old filter to put in the new tank. Then place a brand new (with no bacteria) filter in the old (established) tank ?
Surely that would just cause huge spikes in the established tank - as the vast majority of beneficial bacteria reside in the filter

I would suggest running the new filter alongside the established filter (in the established tank) and then placing it in the new tank. Thereby in effect cloning it.
But you'd have to start stocking with fish at the same time, as without them producing ammonia, your beneficial bacteria will start to die off.

Apologies if I misunderstood.

 

[glolite]

No you didn't misunderstand, that's exactly what I meant However, it's really for how long to run it alongside the current filter before it has enough beneficial bacteria to be able to put it in the new tank.
Plus I can't take the existing filter out of the established tank because it's fixed in. Anyway as bloozoo said, wouldn't that cause a huge nitrite spike in the old tank?

 

[Bloo]

Well I've asked the exact same question myself and only received wildly differing opinions. But in my humble opinion, I would say give it at least a week for colonies to migrate and grow.

 

[glolite]

Thanks. Suppose I could then add fish food and test for ammonia/nitrites daily. It's a bit of an experiment but will post and let you know what happens.

 

[sinistral]

A book on beginner aquariums I have suggests 2-4 weeks. A lot depends on how heavily stocked your original aquarium is.

 

[glolite]

Aha, thanks! The original tank is fairly well stocked. 180litres with 2 bristlenoses 4 corys 2 peacock cichlid 3 small clownloaches and 4 rainbows. The integral juwel filter white floss gets pretty mucky in 1 week.

 

[rdd1952]

What do you do when a filter gets so ragged that it has to be changed? You throw it away and put in a new filter. That doesn't cause a huge ammonia spike because you also have bacteria in the substrate, on plants, decorations, on the tank walls and on the water exposed parts of the mechanical filter. I have changed filter packs before without any problems. If you run another filter along side the current one, it will pick up some bacteria. There still won't be any more bacteria in the tank than there was before because there is only what the waste of the fish will feed. I would think it would take several weeks (2 to 4 as suggested) for enough bacteria to build up in a filter pack that is just hanging in the tank. In that 2 to 4 weeks, you could simply do a fishless cycle and wouldn't need the seeded filter.

 

[Bloo]

What do you do when a filter gets so ragged that it has to be changed?

Well I've only ever had filters that take a bare minimum of two sponges (or media). I would never ever change both at the same time - or more than one at a time.
If I had a filter with only one single sponge, I would change it, but also leave the old sponge in the tank for a couple of weeks, for the bacteria to migrate.

 

[rdd1952]

Well I've only ever had filters that take a bare minimum of two sponges (or media). I would never ever change both at the same time - or more than one at a time.
If I had a filter with only one single sponge, I would change it, but also leave the old sponge in the tank for a couple of weeks, for the bacteria to migrate.

Ok, you're probably using cannister filters or maybe something like Aquaclear and that's a little different than what I'm thinking of. My 29 gallon and the 2 small betta tanks just have the Bio Bag filter packs. My 29 gallon filter does have the sponge pad along with the filter pack and I haven't changed the pad before. Even in changing the filter pack on the betta tanks though, I've never had a problem with ammonia or nitrite spikes. Anyway, probably not a bad idea to leave the filter in the tank for a while as long as it isn't in too bad shape. I'll stand corrected on this one.

 

[reddeerhobbiest]

we just had a friend start up a 25g tank we filled the tank added some fish food , just a pinch or two, for 2 days then took the sponge from my filter and placed it in theirs. We then put 13 cloud minnows in the tank @ the sametime. The tank has never had any ammonia spikes and the fish are doing great. So by using the filter from my 55g for their 25g they never had to wait for their tank to cycle

 

[glolite]

Thanks for all the info. Perhaps I might take some filter medium from the old filter and put in my new filter and start it running in the new tank then. It also had gravel from another tank when I set it up. Here goes!