Quick Filter Question

[Scrotius]

Hi, just reposting this from the "plants and planted tanks" section as I got no replies

I've just bought a 2nd hand 160L tank and it's come with a Fluval 4+ with new media.
I've put the filter in one of my existing tanks to mature the media so that when I start to fill my 160L it will cycle faster.
Does anyone have any idea how long it will take to build up enough bacteria on the new media in a 250L planted tank that has matured and reached an equilibrium?
Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrite are at a minimum.
Thanks

 

[AdamM]

3-4 weeks is the general consensus

 

[Squid]

I changed my filter from a rubbish Juwel internal filter to an eheim external filter. I ran them side by side for 3-4 weeks, then removed the internal filter. I checked the stats for a while after and noticed no mini-cycle or ill effects.

Whilst I couldn't tell you if it would have been ok after 2 weeks, or whether it would work in all tanks, hopefully that will give you an idea ;-)

Cheers,
Squid

 

[drobbyb]

It takes between 3 and 6 weeks depending on a lot of different factors. Usually we recommend at least 4 weeks with water testing on the new tank to make sure.

 

[Scrotius]

wow, that long, ah well good thing I've got another matured filter on standby to help out It's only suitable for upto 100L but it'll help things along atleast

cheers guys

 

[waterdrop]

OR, you could put up to 1/3 of the biomedia from one of your existing filters into position in the new filter on the new tank and fishless cycle it with household ammonia. If you also cleaned out one or more of your existing filter directly in the new tank, this, along with the inserted mature media would probably bring about good cycling in about a week or two. The best position for mature media in the new filter would be just prior to the new biomedia in the water flow. Its more work (ideally you'd want to pick up some fresh replacement media for the 1/3 you take out of the existing filter) but it might save you some time and by using household ammonia, you could "qualify" the filter by watching it drop 5ppm concentration to zero ppm ammonia and zero ppm nitrite(NO2) within 12 hours. A filter that can do this and can repeat if for one week can create a perfectly cycled environment for up to a full stocking of fish.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Scrotius]

thanks waterdrop, I'll try that

I obviously had gotten the *wrong* idea into my head somewhere that if you've got a mature tank then the bacteria you need for the filter is in the water column and placing new media in there would mean it matured more quickly... is there any truth in that?

 

[drobbyb]

Most of the bacteria live in the filter, not in the water column. You can run filters side by side and the new one will cycle normally, but if you actually place the mature media into the new filter, the contact that it makes will allow the bacteria to colonize at a much faster rate.

 

[waterdrop]

The two specific species of autotrophic bacteria (processors of inorganic material) (Nitrosomonas spp., Nitrospira spp.) at the center of ammonia and nitrite(NO2) processing in the nitrogen cycle do not survive well unattached to media. They need to be bound up in surface hugging biofilms and that's where they are found 99.9% of the time.

This is different from the heterotrophic (processors of organic material) bacteria also found in abundance in the aquarium environment. Many of those species are found free floating in the water. The heterotrophs play the role of breaking down excess fish food, fish waste and plant debris into ammonia. When these kinds of organics are in excess in the tank it is the heterotrophic bacteria that we sometimes see creating a milk white bloom in the water.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Scrotius]

oh right I see, cool, thanks for the explanation