Cycling With Mature Media

[Didge007]

I am cycling my new 200L with mature media from my other tanks but I am now confused. Should I be feeding the bacteria? I just popped the pieces in the filter & filled it up four weeks later I've still had no nitrate readings & I assumed I should. I know I won't have ammonia or nitrite readings.

 

[@ombomb]

if the bacteria have no food source they will die off

after 4 weeks with no source of ammonia i'd be surprised if there was any bacteria left

 

[Kev88]

I put the mm in the filter let that run for 24hrs then introduced a fish at a time. This method has worked successful twice for me. The fist time I added ammonia and tested, then added again and tested and repeated and failed. Put in just a few smaller fishes. Good lkuck

 

[Blubble37]

Most of your bacteria are dead, sorry about that