Seeding Tanks With Used Sponges

[FishGuest5123]

Nearly every tank I've set up has been done with old media - apart from the one I am doing now and my first tank I fishless cycled in 2009. Not having access to established media now is so so so painful! Having real issues with my current fishless cycle - to the point I've decided to move to a silent cycle with plants.

Lesson learned - unless you are 1000% sure you will never have a tank again never get rid of all your tanks. I was merely 999% certain and that 1% creeped back in and now I'm kicking myself!

Wills

I can only imagine! Wish you lived near by and I would give you some.

 

[seangee]

Nearly every tank I've set up has been done with old media - apart from the one I am doing now and my first tank I fishless cycled in 2009. Not having access to established media now is so so so painful! Having real issues with my current fishless cycle - to the point I've decided to move to a silent cycle with plants.

Lesson learned - unless you are 1000% sure you will never have a tank again never get rid of all your tanks. I was merely 999% certain and that 1% creeped back in and now I'm kicking myself!

Wills

My tanks are no longer cycleable. Since you left I have switched to pure RO in my softwater tanks and my pH is <5.5. Plants work just fine.

I set up a new tank around 6 weeks ago and put an entire filter from an established tank in there. It did absolutely nothing. My plants were still at an early stage so I dumped a bucket of frogbit into the top and started stocking up 2 weeks after filling the tank. No issues whatsoever.

 

[Wills]

Im really tempted to go RO my tapwater is abosultely attrocious - just a bit of a logistics challenge on where I could store a unit and getting the water to the tank... the cupboard under the sink is pretty under used though now I think about it...

 

[seangee]

I have a traditional RO system under the sink in my utility room, and a stack of 25l and 10l jerry cans as my water changes are over 200l per week
I am considering moving to a direct flow system (tankless) - they have come down a lot in price if you are willing to forego the bells and whistles and fancy consumer box. https://www.directwaterfilters.co.uk/400-gpd-direct-flow-reverse-osmosis-pumped-system-lcd.html

Hint: If you get a 50GPD system and just swap the membrane for a 150 or 200GPD one you get a much better throughput without sacrificing quality. You may need a pumped system though.