How long to leave starter gravel in new tank... - Aquarium Advice

eah · 10-03-2006, 12:44 AM

Hey everyone! A good friend of mine set up her tank last weekend using a five week old filter cartridge and about 3 pounds of gravel from my established 55 gallon tank.

She stocked the tank with a few platies, a gourami and a small school of tetras. The bacteria transfer has worked like a charm and now (2.5 days after placing the fish in the tank) she still has 0ppm readings for both ammonia and nitrite. Here's my question -- she is using black gravel and she didn't want mine to mix with it so she put mine in some pantyhose. How long does she need to leave it in there (keep in mind she won't be removing the old filter cartridge because the filter had room for two cartridges in there)? I really had no idea so I told her it was best to err on the side of leaving it in longer. However, it's a bit of an eyesore so it would be great to know when she can get rid of it.

I know a lot of you have used this method when setting up a new tank. How long did you leave the old gravel in the tank if you didn't want to keep it in there? A week? More? Less? I really have no clue on this one. Thanks in advance!

Lonewolfblue · 10-03-2006, 01:16 AM

I'd say 2-3 weeks to be sure.

Lonewolfblue · 10-03-2006, 01:16 AM

Double post. oops....

eah · 10-03-2006, 06:41 PM

I'll tell her 2-3 weeks, thanks!

I'm really curious about the ammonia-nitrite and nitrite-nitrate bacteria we all have in our tanks... does anyone know of any good online articles that go into a bit more detail about this topic? I'd really like to understand a bit more about how the bacteria works!

fish_4_all · 10-04-2006, 01:51 AM

Look up nytrifying bacteria Here Also try nitrifying bacteria, nitrogen cycle and other terms that show up in the reasults. I wish I could explain it but I barely undertstand the biological process myself.

10-03-2006, 12:44 AM	#1
eah Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New England Posts: 175	How long to leave starter gravel in new tank... Hey everyone! A good friend of mine set up her tank last weekend using a five week old filter cartridge and about 3 pounds of gravel from my established 55 gallon tank. She stocked the tank with a few platies, a gourami and a small school of tetras. The bacteria transfer has worked like a charm and now (2.5 days after placing the fish in the tank) she still has 0ppm readings for both ammonia and nitrite. Here's my question -- she is using black gravel and she didn't want mine to mix with it so she put mine in some pantyhose. How long does she need to leave it in there (keep in mind she won't be removing the old filter cartridge because the filter had room for two cartridges in there)? I really had no idea so I told her it was best to err on the side of leaving it in longer. However, it's a bit of an eyesore so it would be great to know when she can get rid of it. I know a lot of you have used this method when setting up a new tank. How long did you leave the old gravel in the tank if you didn't want to keep it in there? A week? More? Less? I really have no clue on this one. Thanks in advance!

10-03-2006, 01:16 AM	#2
Lonewolfblue Planted Geek Community Mentor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wenatchee, WA Posts: 7,871 Images: 7	I'd say 2-3 weeks to be sure. __________________ 26G Medium Planted Community - 65W CF Lighting - Emperor 280 Bio-Wheel - Established Feb 2004 55G Aggressive Community - Filstar XP3 - Established Dec 2005 75G Heavily Planted - Pressurized CO2, 520W Lighting, Filstar XP3 with spraybar - Established Feb 2006 29G Planted - 130W Lighting, Filstar XP2 with spraybar - Established May 2006 5 10G Tanks - Various setups - Tanks Established May-Sep 2006. 3 currently empty. 5.5G Crypt/Java Fern Tank - Established Oct 2006 My 29G Thread : http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=78469 My 75G Thread : http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=70764 My 75G Makeover Thread: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=87691

10-03-2006, 01:16 AM	#3
Lonewolfblue Planted Geek Community Mentor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Wenatchee, WA Posts: 7,871 Images: 7	Double post. oops.... __________________ 26G Medium Planted Community - 65W CF Lighting - Emperor 280 Bio-Wheel - Established Feb 2004 55G Aggressive Community - Filstar XP3 - Established Dec 2005 75G Heavily Planted - Pressurized CO2, 520W Lighting, Filstar XP3 with spraybar - Established Feb 2006 29G Planted - 130W Lighting, Filstar XP2 with spraybar - Established May 2006 5 10G Tanks - Various setups - Tanks Established May-Sep 2006. 3 currently empty. 5.5G Crypt/Java Fern Tank - Established Oct 2006 My 29G Thread : http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=78469 My 75G Thread : http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=70764 My 75G Makeover Thread: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=87691

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10-03-2006, 06:41 PM	#4
eah Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New England Posts: 175	I'll tell her 2-3 weeks, thanks! I'm really curious about the ammonia-nitrite and nitrite-nitrate bacteria we all have in our tanks... does anyone know of any good online articles that go into a bit more detail about this topic? I'd really like to understand a bit more about how the bacteria works!

10-04-2006, 01:51 AM	#5
fish_4_all Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Aberdeen, WA Posts: 1,809 Images: 4	Look up nytrifying bacteria Here Also try nitrifying bacteria, nitrogen cycle and other terms that show up in the reasults. I wish I could explain it but I barely undertstand the biological process myself.