Moving - How to Preserve Beneficial Bacteria?

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi,

I'm moving to another state and I won't be able to setup my aquarium for at least 2 weeks to a month. I donated my fish to a good new home. I have a 12 gallon nano cube for freshwater. I know I have to empty out all the water and contents before I move the tank. My tank has matured for about a year now. Is there any way to preserve the filter media in a ziplock bag or something and refrigerate it or something to keep the beneficial bacteria alive? I don't want to go through the long process of cycling my tank from scratch again. I'm thinking that by saving and keeping the bacteria alive somehow, it will speed the cycling process up when I re-setup the tank at my new place.

I mean, how do they preserve the bacteria in products such as bio-spira or tetra safe start?

Any advice would be great!

 

[Crepe]

I guess you could hypothetically dose with a weak ammonia solution. Every week or so.

 

[Jason7894561230]

You can keep a shallow bit of tank water in the tank and keep the substarte sumberged, the filter might just have to keep dry

 

[Tim Wheatley]

See link in my sig for info about moving. You won't need it all but it'll help

 

[BigJim]

Set your filter up on a 5g bucket and dose ammonia like you're doing a fishless cycle. Don't seal the filter media in a plastic bag. The bacteria need oxygen.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks everyone for the useful advice. I'm going to put the filter media, some tank water, and substrate in a bucket when I move. I'll make sure to aerate it as much as possible and then use an airstone at my new place until I can set the tank up again. Hope it works and the water doesn't get all stagnant.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I mean, how do they preserve the bacteria in products such as bio-spira or tetra safe start?

That raises a very good question doesn't it? That's one of the reasons I don't buy in to it

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Thanks everyone for the useful advice. I'm going to put the filter media, some tank water, and substrate in a bucket when I move. I'll make sure to aerate it as much as possible and then use an airstone at my new place until I can set the tank up again. Hope it works and the water doesn't get all stagnant.

It probably will... You might be better off buying a 10 gallon tank ($12 from walmart) and running a filter on it with a dead (human food) shrimp in there or something. Just so you can keep doing water changes, etc.

 

[strokinbyeu]

It probably will... You might be better off buying a 10 gallon tank ($12 from walmart) and running a filter on it with a dead (human food) shrimp in there or something. Just so you can keep doing water changes, etc.

why would it get stagnet? hes gona have the filter running in the bucket

 

[Tim Wheatley]

It's still a filter working the same water. Exposed to any light or food nutrient from water, air, dead bugs, mosquitos, it's going to grow bacteria and it's going to get nasty. The bacteria he wants to keep alive will be joined by others.

 

[strokinbyeu]

its only gona be tore down for a month, wouldnt just a pwc in the bucket at about 2weeks be fine? that would be more offten than most ppl do pwc on there tanks. P.S. im not arguing with you, im going off my assumtions, and asking ??s

 

[Tim Wheatley]

That would probably help a lot.

I just remember how short of an amount of time it took to get junk all over when I tried to do this, that's all.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks guys for the continued discussion, it certainly sparks up more ideas that I can implement to keep the bacteria alive while maintaining some water quality.

Do u guys think aside from putting the media in the bucket with water, airstone, and pwc's, will refrigeration help? I recall reading in some forums about bacteria in a bottle products, that the reputable ones are found in refrigerators? That should slow the metabolism down (hopefully not kill them) to preserve them a bit longer while keeping stagnation at bay? I'm just speculating, but do u think it will work?