How long can nitrifying bacteria live with no fish?

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cjldad

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
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Richmond, Va
I swapped out filter media on my sons 29g and placed it in me 75g I'm trying to get up and running.. I've been dosing with some food to hopefully keep the bacteria alive.. How long will the bacteria stay alive without food?? This is a fresh new tank..
Thanks!!
 
they start to die off rather quickly. i think its with in a day they start to die off. food does take time to break down and turn to ammonia. have you read up on fishless cycling using ammonia?
 
Yeah, I know all about the fishless cycling.. Thought I would start this tank off by seeding with filter media from a cycled tank,.... Not a good idea???
Thanks!!
 
no it is a good idea... the bacteria can live forever if you keep dosing ammonia to keep it fed... if you seed the new tank, your cycling time will be cut big time
 
I don't have pure ammonia.. Things I have that may work short term till I get fish.. Flake food, pellet food, frozen baby brine, fish poop from sons tank.. Which should I be using? :)
 
if you dont have ammonia, fish food is going to be your best option, the only thing is that if it doesnt decay quick enough, your bacteria may die and you'll have to cycle the tank again... why dont you just leave the filter in the other tank until youre ready to add fish? when you get a couple fish, just put that filter back in the tank and it'll be ready...
 
Yeah, that makes sense.. I'm dumb.. Lord, I have been sick for about a week and I cannot get my mind right.. I'm usually much sharper about these things.. UGH!!!! Taking the filter media out and putting it back in the 29g..
 
LOL! Sorry you're sick! That's no fun....
+1 for Rookie. I used media to "cycle" my 75G, and it didn't even have a cycle, it just went right to the proper readings.
 
Eh.. I put the filter media back in the 29g... Fish started eating on it.. I just tossed it and will swap out the next filter media when I get fish.. Probably no biggy they were feeding on it.. Better safe than sorry I guess..
 
I like to put the entire filter from the new tank in or on (HOB) a cycled tank with fish for a week or so. Then move it to the new tank with the fish. I've never had any problems since I started doing this.
 
good news i hope for you.

I have found out from my aquarium keeping professor who has said she is the class textbook has told me that ammonia eating bacteria can survive a really long time without any ammonia. she said weeks.
 
I have found out from my aquarium keeping professor who has said she is the class textbook has told me that ammonia eating bacteria can survive a really long time without any ammonia. she said weeks.

+1 they will go dormant for a period of time before dying off. From what I remember its up to a month.
 
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