Using Mature Media - Question About The Suggested Cleaning In New Tank

[Always Learning]

Hi, I read a post recently about someone cleaning their filter from their existing tank, in the water of their new tank and hoping that some of the bacteria from the old filter, finds its way into the new. The problem with this though, was that the new tank became messy from all the waste from the old filter.

Would it have the same effect and be more beneficial, if I was to put the old filter media into a bowl on tank water to clean, as usual.. but then put in the new clean media from the new tank in there to try soak it all up, before adding it into the tank? This seems to me a cleaner way of doing so and also a more direct route, rather than waiting for the filter sponges to soak it up. Just wondering if that is the case.

I don't have the option of taking the old media out and putting in the new one, or leaving the filters running together, as the old one has been sold.

Thanks

 

[fatheadminnow]

The debris left from the mature filter media (when cleaning the filter media off in your new tank) will only last for so long until it all gets sucked up into the filter.

You can also cut up a piece of mature filter media (or old filter media, as you put it) and place that into your new filter.

-FHM

 

[fishyfeet]

but you say you have the old media, with new filters i put a basket of od media from an existing filter and swap with new, if you have old media put that in instead of the new, the only thing that concerns me the length of time the bacteria will have been with without oxygen and flowing water. di

 

[Always Learning]

Thanks for the reply. I guess either way there wouldn't be much difference then, I was just hoping not to make a big mess as I'm a bit of a clean freak

Fishyfeet, the only way I could do that would be to cut a piece off the old filter, then into bits to fit into my new one, but the person who is having my tank is expecting a mature filter with it and it's an old fluval 4 with the one piece foam. I suppose just taking a quarter of it wouldn't harm too much. My old tank is still up and running, so there shouldn't be a problem with the time of exposure.

Thanks

 

[fishyfeet]

why not replace half the old sponge with half a new sponge, when the old sponge has had it the person buying your filter wont want to replace a whole sponge and have to recycle the tank, so its best to do it in half anyway so would suit both of you best i would have thought. di

 

[OldMan47]

I am the one who often starts a new tank by cleaning an old filter in it. I like the concept of trying it in a separate bucket. I may try that one of these times just to see if it works as well. I always figured that by cleaning in the new tank, everything but the solids ended up passing through the new filter and I had a good chance of getting a good bacteria start on the new filter. I wouldn't see as much of a start doing it your way but it might save some of the messy look. Definitely worth a try for me. Note: If it doesn't work out, I have lots more filters to do it my old way. I suspect you don't have that option with yours.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, interesting variation on the concept OM, I agree. I used the "wash old filter in new tank" concept to help jumpstart my quarantine tank fishless cycle and I did notice quite a bit of debris staying about the substrate as a result. This is definately an example of you being open-minded about a concept that you've been our primary teacher for!

~~waterdrop~~
ps. Did you ever lose your beautiful sailfin molly that you had the "old age" emergencies thread on or is she still gliding about?

 

[OldMan47]

I lost her shortly after. Once she started to go, it was only a couple of months to the end. I do have about 50 of her grown up fry though. Some are starting to look almost as nice as she did.

 

[waterdrop]

She was really a gorgeous fish! Nice that you may have some who have inherited her good looks!