Using Beneficial Bacteria from one tank to another

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Quake2player

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
165
Location
Westchester, NY
I stuck a piece of thick filter foam (cut into a 4"x5" rectangle) into the front out-take slot of my HOB filter on my established 29 gal tank with the intentions of populating this filter foam with beneficial bacteria that I can drop on a 3 gallon tank as I just had to clean it out and it'll end up being home for a betta.

Questions:
- How's my choice of media in my attempts to populate it with bacteria:
4743101000BC.jpg

- About how long will it take for it to be populated w/bacteria?
- After I insert this in the 3gal, how long do I keep it there for the bacteria to populate the tank?
Thanks.
 
I keep spare filter media in my tank 24/7 all year round. So let me see if I understand, You want to take the filter pad you've been seeding and then stick it in a new filter housing with a new filter pad correct? If this is the case 3-4 weeks. May be less, check it every week. Wait till its good and dirty looking, You will have fish or be feeding the media while you populate the tank with BB right?

I would always keep an extra piece of filter type pad like you have in your 29, because you never know when your going to need your Quarantine tank. I have mine treating Ich right now. I have a Spare Aquaclear sponge 6 months old in my 29 filter housing with the new pad. When I need media, I snip a 1/3 of it off and plop it in my 5 gallon, filter media slot. Instant cycle.
 
You will have fish or be feeding the media while you populate the tank with BB right? .

If you're asking about the tank I'm getting the bacteria from... my 29 gal is already cycled and established with plants, driftwood, fish (11 cardinal tetras, 4 male endlers, 4 otos). You gave me a better idea... I'll just use one of the dirty filter pads from my 29gal, xfer it to my 3 gal, heh. Though, can I use the 3 gal right away when I xfer the dirty filter pad, or should I wait another couple of weeks to allow the bacteria to populate?
 
If you do that, I would add a bit of ammonia and see if it can be quickly converted. If so, you can do a water change and add fish. If it can't convert it quickly enough, wait a couple weeks while adding ammonia and see how far it gets. But, if this is from a 29 gallon filter going in a 3 gallon, I think it should be able to handle it immediately.
 
You should be able to use the tank almost right away, if you wait too long, the bacteria you have will starve and die with no food (ammonia) to feed on. i would just try to make sure you are getting some water flow through your seeded piece for best biological filtration, but have heard of people just setting it in the tank.



edit: ^^^^snuck that in on me. thats what i get for being on here while working.
 
I'll transfer in my bacteria-seasoned filter pad, either the night before or day of, when I intend to buy a betta... and maybe a couple of snails for algae, or 2 otos may be pushing it.
Thanks.
 
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