Hel
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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!
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!