When can I take the seeded sponge out?

[Skunky]

My tank is all cycled and my Endlers should be here by Thursday. LOL, feels like I'm expecting important guests and I'm a bit nervous. Anyway, assuming all goes, uhem, swimmingly, when will it be safe to take that big ol sponge out? And when I do, is there a way to preserve the bacteria for, say, a month until I get my 29g set up?

ETA: It's actually a sponge filter.

 

[tarpon]

Do you have another cycled filter running on the tank?
and you should just be able to put it in a bucket of water and leave it turned on and feed it ammonia every now and then. I think the bacteria will start to die by a month with no ammonia source

 

[bud29]

If you want to preserve the bacteria, I would say there is no better way than to keep it in the tank!

 

[Skunky]

Tarpon and bud, yes there is a charcoal filter and a bio-wheel. This tank has not gone through even one water change because it cycled pretty quickly, I think. My hope is that the wheel got enough BB to compensate for the removal of the sponge filter after the fish have been in there for a couple of weeks.--?? I'm worried that just the big water change will throw it off. Of course, I will rinse the carbon pad in old tank water.

I can put the sponge in a bucket with its tubing and feed it, no problem. I could get it really, reallllly dirty in the bucket by throwing in some goldfish flakes or maybe a shrimp! I'm feeling another experiment coming on--albeit a stinky one!

The only reason, no two reasons, I want to take it out is because this is only a 5g tank; the sponge is fairly large for it, and I want to give the Endlers more space, and I'm hoping to not have to buy another active sponge filter for my next tank. It's not that I'm all that cheap, but I've grown kind of attached to the thing since it worked wonders for me--well, that and all the smart and helpful people in here!

 

[jetajockey]

Leave it in there till you are ready to use it.

 

[Skunky]

Ah, jeta, so easy! Thanks! I think I'm getting the jitters at this point. Thank you for helping me regain some sense.

 

[tarpon]

If you want to preserve the bacteria, I would say there is no better way than to keep it in the tank!

Haha, idk why I didn't consider this

 

[Skunky]

Well, at some point I am going to take it out of the tank. I guess I will just test.

You know, it's weird. I've done fish-in cycling many times with no problems. I mean that. No problems. I tested and did water changes when needed. This fishless cycling is different. I'm all hyped up on water parameters and I'm just about to get my fish and am too worried.

Well, I will do the best I can.