Filter Advice

[lfckopite]

I wouldn't bother. The sponge should be ready in 4-6 weeks, but obviously that all depends on how things go

All the best

rabbut you are a star i have wasted the last 4 weeks trying to get the filter cycled in main tank i wish i have known this then owell another 4 weeks to wait

 

[Tolak]

It probably is cycled, but only has enough bacteria to handle the percentage of the bio load for the tank it was running on.

Let's say, for ease of math, that your main filter is 4 times the size of the smaller filter, with 4 times the media. 20% of the cycled media is in the small filter, 80% is in the larger one. Look at your main tank, do you really think 20% of the stock are going to create 5ppm ammonia daily in anything larger than a gallon bucket?

By looking at your profile, no, unless your quar tank is one gallon. You might get 1ppm daily in a 10 gallon, if that. That is all the bacteria that has grown on the bio media of that filter. A recently cycled colony of bacteria will grow at a slower rate than that of a mature tank.

What to do? Only expect the media in the smaller filter to handle a corresponding bio load to the percentage of media it is in the cycled tank, which corresponds to the percentage of fish it can sustain. A production rate of 5ppm ammonia daily in any tank would be an unbelievably overstocked tank. Recently cycled tanks have a rather fragile colony of bacteria at first, the 5ppm used to do a fishless cycle is overkill, but provides a large bacteria colony, giving some measure of insurance.

 

[lfckopite]

It probably is cycled, but only has enough bacteria to handle the percentage of the bio load for the tank it was running on.

Let's say, for ease of math, that your main filter is 4 times the size of the smaller filter, with 4 times the media. 20% of the cycled media is in the small filter, 80% is in the larger one. Look at your main tank, do you really think 20% of the stock are going to create 5ppm ammonia daily in anything larger than a gallon bucket?

By looking at your profile, no, unless your quar tank is one gallon. You might get 1ppm daily in a 10 gallon, if that. That is all the bacteria that has grown on the bio media of that filter. A recently cycled colony of bacteria will grow at a slower rate than that of a mature tank.

What to do? Only expect the media in the smaller filter to handle a corresponding bio load to the percentage of media it is in the cycled tank, which corresponds to the percentage of fish it can sustain. A production rate of 5ppm ammonia daily in any tank would be an unbelievably overstocked tank. Recently cycled tanks have a rather fragile colony of bacteria at first, the 5ppm used to do a fishless cycle is overkill, but provides a large bacteria colony, giving some measure of insurance.

Tolak do you agree with rabbut that it will be more cycled in the main fillter cannister for 4-6 weeks P.S my QT is 7 gallon

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with rabbut (& MW) that the actions rabbut suggests will result in faster increase in bacteria in the small sponge. Tolak's reason makes complete sense too, that a not-overstocked tank is going to do most of its cycling in the bigger filter. Proportionately less ammonia will be pulled past the media in the smaller filter, so those bacteria will see less "load" to respond to.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tolak]

It may have slightly more, due to the flow rate, the cannisters that work the best at bio filtration have a slower flow rate. It has more to do with the amount of surface area available for the bacteria to colonize. Generally I guess you could say that due to the slower flow rate in the canister the media would have a bit more bacteria than the same media in a hob, but not a huge difference.