Keeping filter media alive

[jratuszn]

I'm moving to New Orleans at the end of the summer, and would like to start my tank running once I get there. However, it was such a nightmare to move my rock-filled tank last summer, that I'm gonna have to tear it down, remove the rocks, and glue them onto removable plastic racks that I can pull in and out. I don't wanna have to cycle my tank again once I get there, b/c I want to keep discus, so I'm afraid to introduce any new livestock to what is a very established, disease-free tank, and I don't want to do fishless, because most report it taking forever, or never really working properly.

So the question is, how to keep my canister filter media alive for the month or so it'll take between tear-down and setup. If I just put it in a 5g bucket, with an airstone and some super mulmy tank water, will it last for the duration?

As an alternative, I'm also thinking about keeping some dirty water from my next few cleanings in a closed rubbermaid with no filter, and periodically adding some to the filter media bucket to keep the bacteria alive. The only thing I'd be worried about with this idea would be mold or other kinds of problems in the "dirty water" storage tank.

Any input you guys may have is appreciated.

Thanks!

-J

 

[wilson]

If you maybe put fish food in too, would that help? Im not sure aboout any thing else but i think i read somewhere about people doing that to keep bacteria around.

 

[jratuszn]

Should I be concerned about having too much mulm in the water? I don't know how high the ammonia/etc. levels can become before they are toxic to the bacteria.

-J

 

[wilson]

Im not really sure on that. Hopefully someone else with more experience can help you. Im not sure what mulm is lol. Good luck with it though.

 

[Menagerie]

As an alternative, I'm also thinking about keeping some dirty water from my next few cleanings in a closed rubbermaid with no filter, and periodically adding some to the filter media bucket to keep the bacteria alive. The only thing I'd be worried about with this idea would be mold or other kinds of problems in the "dirty water" storage tank.

I don't like that idea. You need aeration.

Why are you tearing the tank down so early?

 

[poikilotherm]

My vote would be to freeze it, possibly with some glycerol. Dump the canister media into a plastic container with a lid. Add enough water (or 80% water/20% glycerol) to cover the media, and toss it in the freezer. Glycerol is available as glycerin in drug stores, and helps bacteria freeze without bursting. If it was just a week or two, I'd just refrigerate the media (damp, but not saturated).

As long as it stays frozen, you should get about half of your bacteria to survive. That should be enough to re-seed your tank wihout a cycle. When you thaw it, run water in gently to dilute out the glycerol (which is non-toxic anyway), put the media back in your canister, and set up the tank. If you're concerned about the glycerin, just use tank water, but your survival percentage will be lower, and you will be more likely to get a mini-cycle.

Disclaimer: I have not done this with filter media, but I have done it with many different types of bacteria and it works well.

 

[TankGirl]

Don't discount fishless cycling, either. Works for me just fine, and creates a very nice quantity of bacteria when done correctly.

 

[Endgame319]

Just put your media in a bucket, and feed it with liquid ammonia (PURE ammonium hydroxide, make sure it doesn't bubble, it means there's no soap in it.)

 

[jratuszn]

Thanks for the advice guys-

Menagerie- I'm tearing it down early, so that I can have time to remove the rocks and stick them onto the racks I made- I figure it'll take a long time for them to dry enough for silicone to stick to them, once the tank is emptied. I was thinking I might need aeration too, but I couldn't think of a good reason why. It's not like I'd be trying to keep any bacteria in the water alive. I just need the nitrogenous compuonds in the water. Hmmm.

poikilotherm- are you sure 80/20 would be enough glycerol to keep the media alive? I usually use 50/50 for glycerol stocks in my lab. I had actually considered doing what you suggested, but wasn't sure what effect the glycerol might have on the fish, or if it would even work-

Ho hum. Can I get any second opinions on any of these ideas?

Thanks!

-J

 

[TankGirl]

It is my understanding that the bacteria does need oxygen when it is in the water in order to stay alive - that is why biowheels work so well, since the bacteria gets out of the water as it goes 'round and gets a dose of oxygen. The water just sitting without filtration will not support the bacteria, even if you dose with ammonia, AFAIK - could be wrong....

 

[BrianNY]

Sounds to me like you're going through alot of trouble to save yourself from cycling jr. Personally, I wouldn't trust the media after such a move and would suggest you sterilize it before using it again anyway.

Are you going to be getting all new fish? Do you have any idea yet where the fish will be coming from? Perhaps you can have the seller seed a sponge filter or two prior to your purchase. Just a thought.

 

[jratuszn]

I really appreciate all of the great advice you guys have given.

I plan on getting Discus when I start up again. I've already found a few breeders that aren't too far away. That's why I'd like to avoid adding other "cycling" fish, to avoid introducing bacteria. I also don't want to do a "fishless cycle", because from reading the forums, it seems like way more trouble than it's worth.

I bought a bunch of 22g rubbermaid tubs, to move some of my favorites over to my girlfriend's tank. I think I'm gonna throw all of my substrate into one, plus some water and leftover pellets, and then just run my canister on that- I have one of those 12V to AC adaptors to run it in the car. I figure that should keep the media alive for the few days it'll take me to get down there and set up my tank. I think the effort now will be worht the 6 weeks it'd take me to cycle.

What do you guys think?

-J

 

[TankGirl]

I am sorry that you have gotten the impression fishless cycle is any trouble at all - I think it is brilliant. It is the only way to go for me, and I have not had trouble doing it, the biggest stumbling block that people have is patience. If you have no seed material you could possibly have a six-week cycle to deal with, and that is longer than people like to wait, but it is a solid cycle with loads of bacteria present all over the tank when you are ready for fish. To me it is a no-brainer.

When I moved I used 18-gal rubbermaid containers and found that I could not put very much in them if I wanted to pick them up - they buckled and threatened to fold over and spill. Just sitting there they were fine.

 

[BrianNY]

As a discus keeper myself, I'd want everything as sterile as possible after making the move. If you know discus breeders in the area, I'm sure they will seed some sponge filters for you. It should all be planned out ahead of time so that you're able to bring the filters home with the fish.