Transfering Filter Media

[KaNGiX]

Hey folks whats the best way to swap filter media over to my new tank? A friend has a 85 Gallon tropical tank and hes all for it. We just need to know how to go about it. I tried searching wasnt really able to find a good answer.

 

[gowing238]

Get some of his old media and stick in your filter and off you go! Easy as that! If you have to transport media keep it in a bucket of your mates tank water. Try not to keep it idle for more than 30 minutes or the bacteria will start to die!

 

[freddythefish]

85 GALLON!!!!!!!
Do you mean litres because that would be HUGE!!!

Just get it out and put it in the new filter (if it fits) and voila.
I personally like doing squeezings...make sure it stays in the water at all times btw.
To do a 'squeezing' simply hold it in the water in the tank or above the surface might be better sometimes and then squeeeeeze!

 

[codeajohnson]

I would suggest the squeezing as well as the transport of the filter media. Also, if there are certain media that your friend still wants to hold onto, you could have him swish them around a bit in some of his aquarium water. This way he will still have plenty of bacteria left on his media that he is keeping, and you would have some of what was on it as well. Then just dump that aquarium water into your filter.

 

[waterdrop]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but seems like I've read on TFF in the past that squeezings are not as effective as actual pieces of media. The general rule for your friend would be to give away 1/3 of one of the types of biomedia, keeping 2/3 and replacing that area with fresh media.

If its sponge and he's willing, you would cut 1/3 with scissors and then bag it up with his tank water as mentioned above. Sloshing motions during transport are good because that allows some water to move around in the media, giving the bacteria a little more oxygen, which is one of the first necessities to fall short I think.

If its ceramic rings or pebbles from a cannister filter then dividing up is more obvious and you can provide him with some replacement media or money for it.

Sometimes media squeezings can appear more effective than they actually are I think because you are seeing debris and taking it to be bacteria, whereas the bacteria is more solidly anchored to the media.. but I'm sure it varies a lot. Tank water, gravel and things other than media are almost completely ineffective I think.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[codeajohnson]

Hey waterdrop,

I agree with you completely that the actual media would be far more beneficial then squeezing some of the water out. I was suggesting that in addition to the media, that KaNGiX could maybe get the friend to sqeeze out some of what they are keeping, or swoosh the media in some aquarium water. This way they would be getting the media, as well as some extra bacteria and the friend still gets to keep some of their media.

 

[waterdrop]

ok, gotcha code, that's fine

 

[KaNGiX]

Ok after talking to my friend again we came to this. We both have 3 stage external filters. Hes willing to give me the whole foam pad and i will replace it for his tank. Should i cut it in 2 and put half in each filter? Currently im only running one 110 Aquaclear filter and there is a second there waiting to be used for my 120 gallon.

 

[waterdrop]

Ok after talking to my friend again we came to this. We both have 3 stage external filters. Hes willing to give me the whole foam pad and i will replace it for his tank. Should i cut it in 2 and put half in each filter? Currently im only running one 110 Aquaclear filter and there is a second there waiting to be used for my 120 gallon.

If your friend has a really mature external with plenty of media then its really his choice - probably the bacteria is mature enough in the ceramics basket etc. that he could swap the whole sponge for a new one without getting a mini-cycle. He (& perhaps you if you are over there with him) should just make a judgement call on whether the sponge seems to be a big significant part of his bio-filtration -- be sure to ask about the time-line for his biomedia (eg. you wouldn't want it to be the case that the sponge was mature and he had only recently added new ceramic or other media in another basket - you wouldn't want him to get a mini-cycle.) But as I say, if its all mature then I would think you buy him a new sponge, take his whole sponge in water and then, yes, cut it in half for your two filters you are going to fishless cycle, if I'm reading your plan correctly...

BTW, rabbut (and maybe pastabake?) are really good with this stuff, maybe they'll see the thread...

~~waterdrop~~

 

[rabbut]

You can safely take 1/3 of his bio media without detectable side effects. If a full sponge is 1/3 of his media, then swap a whole. If a sponge equates to more than 1/3, then cut the sponges in half. You take a mature half and leve him with the other half, and replace it with a new half. That way you both get about 1/2 of the mature sponge and half a new

The main thing here realy is to avoid upsetting your friends mature tank Their tank going belly up during a mini cycle will be far worse than a few extra days on your fishless cycle To transport media, treat it like fish. Place it into a bag with enough water to cover, and try to get as much air in a possible before tieing your knot. The air space should be twice that of the space the water takes up

All the best
Rabbut

Edit; for clarification of reading

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks rabbut