Another cycling question.

[Abrams96]

I have a question that i've been thinking about for awhile. I know that when some people are setting up a new tank they will run their new filter on an already established tank to colonize BB. Then simply move that filter to the new tank when they are ready for fish. Would this not cause the already established tank to go into a mini cycle by removing the new filter from it because you would essentially be removing, give or take half of the supporting BB?

 

[Carlitouus]

You also have good bacteria in the gravel! Yes and no. A lot of people say they should leave the old filter for a few days behind the new one(both at the same time) and then take the old one out and throw it away... Some people say it's fine. So you will get good and bad reviews I think.

 

[Carlitouus]

You also have good bacteria in the gravel! Yes and no. A lot of people say they should leave the old filter for a few days behind the new one(both at the same time) and then take the old one out and throw it away... Some people say it's fine. So you will get good and bad reviews I think.

Sorry I think I misread your thread. the good bacteria will still stay on your old filter as well. Also, good bacteria can be found in gravel, which is why we should not vacuum gravel and clean filter on the same day... I vacuum on Wednesdays( I make water change while vacuuming) and rinse filter on Sundays!
But when doing that, put old and new filter in already cycled tank, one behind the other

You should be fine bud.

 

[absolutangel04]

The bacteria in gravel cling to the substrate, so vacuuming doesn't affect it much. In general, it is good to run 2 filter cartridges at once so you can move one over to the new tank and leave one in your other tank. You can also put a sponge or something in there to seed with beneficial bacteria and then move it into the new filter.

 

[Abrams96]

Let me rephrase this. Tank #1 is established. You buy tank #2, while you are setting up tank #2, you throw #2's new filter on tank #1 to colonize it. You finish setting up #2 and take it's filter back from tank #1. Thus removing a large quantity of BB from #1. It only makes sense that this should cause a mini cycle? Hope that makes more sense.

 

[Abrams96]

Ok it's just more curiosity then anything. I just believe that a tank only houses as much bacteria as needed to take care of that particular bio load. So when you add filter #2 you essentially would lose some bacteria from filter #1 because it has more space to live. for a lack of a better description. So then you remove filter #2. #1 has to rebuild it's colony to the original size it was before adding the second. Does that make sense to anyone? I'm not currently setting up another tank. It was just something on my mind.

 

[jetajockey]

Ok it's just more curiosity then anything. I just believe that a tank only houses as much bacteria as needed to take care of that particular bio load. So when you add filter #2 you essentially would lose some bacteria from filter #1 because it has more space to live. for a lack of a better description. So then you remove filter #2. #1 has to rebuild it's colony to the original size it was before adding the second. Does that make sense to anyone? I'm not currently setting up another tank. It was just something on my mind.

Sounds about right to me. It's not as much of an issue in a well established tank, though, the bacteria bounce back really well.