How long til new filter is bacteria-ified in a cycled tank?

[Hel]

If I put a brand new HOT filter on a long since cycled tank, how long til the good bacteria colonize the filter?

There's a number of decorations in the tank the bacteria have presumably colonized, and it's been over a week since the gravel was vacuumed, so I'm assuming there's plenty of bacteria in the gravel as well. Unfortunately, transferring filter media from an existing filter isn't an option, I've got to start with the new media.

Should I stir up the gravel to get some of the bacteria moving into the filter? Vacuum the gravel and then pour the vacuumed water back into the tank through the filter? Just be patient and wait for the bacteria to move in their own time?

Thanks!

 

[Sambo7475]

There's absolutely no way to move your media? That's where most of the bb lives. There are bacteria on all the surfaces in your tank, but not in as high concentrations as your filter media. You could try to do the vacuuming and pour through the filter, you could also get a mesh bag and put a bunch of the gravel in it, then place the bag in your filter. The dirtier the rocks the better.
You may go through a minicyle with the new filter, so keeping an eye on your ammonia, trites and trates will be really important over the next couple of weeks. If you see an ammonia or trites spike, 50% water change, and dose with prime (which binds the ammonia and trites).
Best of luck.

 

[Hel]

Nope, absolutely no way to move the media. My husband somehow completely misunderstood when I asked him to clean the filter, and washed the whole thing, housing and media, with Dawn dishwashing liquid. (I have no idea how he misunderstood so badly, cos he's cleaned it before plenty of times. Work induced brain death I guess.) I caught the mistake before he put the filter back on the tank, thank the goddess, but all the media is a loss, and I just bought a whole new filter rather than worry if any chemicals were left in the housing.

 

[Sharpchick]

Are you saying your existing filter went kaput? If not, you run both of them simultaneously. If so, move the media from the old filter to the new one.

I think I am not fully understanding your situation.

 

[Hel]

Sharpchick-My existing filter got washed with Dawn dish liquid. I trashed all the media, and currently have the housing sitting in the bathtub with water running over it to be absolutely sure no chemical residue is left, at which point the old housing will become my spare. In the meantime, I bought a new filter which I have set up, which therefore has all new media.

 

[Sharpchick]

Sharpchick-My existing filter got washed with Dawn dish liquid. I trashed all the media, and currently have the housing sitting in the bathtub with water running over it to be absolutely sure no chemical residue is left, at which point the old housing will become my spare. In the meantime, I bought a new filter which I have set up, which therefore has all new media.

Oh wow.

The only thing I can offer you on that is that while you're cycling again (at least mini cycling anyway, but if you're fully stocked, my guess is re-cycling), you can use Prime or Amquel to de-toxify the ammonia. Amquel will de-toxify up to 2 ppm (although I wouldn't let it get that high), and Prime will de-toxify up to 1 ppm. Both will last for about 24-48 hours, but you'll still have to keep up with water changes. The good news about either of those is that the ammonia won't be toxic to the fish, but will still be available for cycling.

So sorry to hear that news.

 

[Sambo7475]

So sorry to see that, now I understand why there's no way to use your old media.
You're most likely going to have a minicycle, just keep up with the pwc's and checking the parameters daily. There are bb in the substrate, on the glass and other surfaces, so you won't be starting from square one, maybe square 2?
Do you have any friends in the hobby who could give you some seed media? That would really help stabilize things, or I got a piece of sponge from my favorite fish store, they just gave it to me, to help my cycle along. Maybe that would help you.
Again, best of luck, I really hope it goes well for you.

 

[Hel]

*nod* Yeah, I'm gonna test like it's a complete re- cycle, and see how the tank acts. I'll amquel at the first sign of ammonia. I'm hoping the gravel&decoration bacteria will be enough to at least make it a mini-cycle. I've got some rocks that claim to be ideal for bacteria to colonize, I'm hoping it is true&the bacteria had read the same description.

 

[GulfShrimplet]

I'm setting up two tanks for my bettas tomorrow. I didn't plan timing well so no time to do a fishless cycle.

So I'm trying two kinds of bacteria in a bottle in two different tanks. I'll use Tetra Safestart in one tank. I found it at PetSmart. I was told to shake it verrry well. I've heard the shelf-stable formula is not as good, but I prefer to use it in a pinch. Extra betta so extra bottle of bacteria.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered Dr. Tim's One and Only from their website, in an insulated pack due to the weather. Not cheap but better than ammonia burns on my fish. I've used this in the past to good result, and I have an ammonia test kit just in case.

Today, I avoided buying the other brands of bacteria because I've heard on forums that their bacteria is the species used in sewage sanitation, not derived from aquariums as are the previous two. That is, if they are even alive in the bottle.

I hope your filter will be fine soon.

 

[Hel]

So the ammonia never did spike, happily. Guess there was enough bb in the decorations. I did stir up the gravel a bunch, every day for the first couple days after I put the new filter on.

 

[Sambo7475]

that's awesome to see! Minicycles are a pain the the butt.