Cycling Question

[Vegan Peaches]

I just recently setup a 29 gallon aquarium and want it ready for fish before adding the fish. I have 2 established aquaria already, but the filters on those tanks have smaller media than the new, larger filter. If I take the smaller media and jam it in the large filter along with the large media, will this mess up the filtration process? I could move gravel instead, but it doesn't seem like it would be as effective as just moving the filter media.

 

[Torrean]

I suggest that you hang a clean stocking of gravel in the 29 next to the filter, or just dump it straight in if you don't mind color differences. To supplement this you can swish your smaller filter media in the 29 to shake loose the bacteria. They should then colonize your new filter. Make sure your tank is relatively disease free before doing either because you can transmit diseases like this.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Are airstones a good source of bacteria? I have one that I rarely turn on because it bothers me when I sleep, but if I leave it on for a couple days, will bacteria colonize that, or not really?

 

[annka5]

I don't think air stones are ideal becuase they have enough surface area for bacteria to cling to/ develop in.

 

[ncjharris]

Air stone will offer nothing spectacular in terms of bacteria.

Your best bet is to keep the filter media in the old aqaurium. This can obviously only be done if you have a filter that uses medium - a canister one for example. You don't specify but I'm guessing thats what you have,
Another option is to cut up the medium. Take the one from the established filter and (without cleaning it) half it or cut it to whatever size will fit in the new filter. et viola, ready seeded filter. Replace teh space in the old one with the new one and everything should be fine and dandy.

Rememeber, this needs to be done close when you will add the fish, as the bacteria will die without a source of ammonia.

 

[rdd1952]

If there is some way you could put a little of the media from you existing tank into the new filter that would definitely give you a jump start. It sounds like you are planning to do a fishless cycle and seeding the new filter would speed that quite a bit.

As for the gravel, my experience is that there is very little beneficial bacteria in the substrate. I think that logic goes back to the old days of under gravel filters when the gravel contained a large amount of the bacteria. I recently changed all the sand in my 29 gallon and did not have even a mini cycle afterwards so I couldn't have lost much bacteria in the change.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Hm... well, if bacteria in the gravel is kind of bunk, then I should probably devote more time to vacuuming it, lol. NCJharris, I like that idea, mainly because I have spare filter sponges lying around to replace the old one with, so I guess I'll just do that. Once I do this, how long should I wait before adding the fish in?

 

[rdd1952]

Once I do this, how long should I wait before adding the fish in?

Simply moving the media over to the new tank won't cycle it and make it ready for fish (not all of them anyway). You could probably add about half of the number of fish in the tank it comes out of and be safe but definitely no more than that. I would suggest doing a fishless cycle which with the media and bacteria you move over should take more than a week and then you can add your full stock.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Full stock? I haven't bought any fish for it yet, but I will do a fishless cycle before I get some if switching the media isn't good enough.