Re-Establishing Tank Help (filter sponge, rings, bioballs)?

[Brian_Nano12g]

Hi guys,

So I moved to another state and gave my fish away and drained out my tank (12g nano cube). Everything including the filter sponge, media, bio balls, and ceramic rings are sitting in a bucket dried out now. I know I'll have to start over and re-cycle my tank. My question is can I just rinse out and clean all the filter components if they look good (i.e. no visible cracking and degradation)? Or would I have to buy a new filter sponge and other filter components again? I'd prefer to not dish-out all that extra dough and use that cash to restock my tank.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

~B

 

[smarsh7903]

If it were me, and everything looks and runs ok, I would save money and use the money for restocking the tank! I have a magnum filter and fluval that I have used for a good five years now on several different projects.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

If it were me, and everything looks and runs ok, I would save money and use the money for restocking the tank! I have a magnum filter and fluval that I have used for a good five years now on several different projects.

Thanks for the first-hand experience smarsh! I'm just going to give everything a good rinse to get all the dead and dried-out bio-matter off then throw in the dechlorinated h20 and let the cycle start all over again... Don't see why the old filter media wouldn't work to reestablish the bacteria colonies?This time... Fishless cycling (sigh.. hate the waiting game)!

 

[Marconis]

Just rinse them off. No need to purchase new things; they will still serve their function.

 

[smarsh7903]

Don't see why the old filter media wouldn't work to reestablish the bacteria colonies?

If I remember my professor correctly, I believe that the nitrifying bacteria can produce cysts when dried out, so if your stuff is dry, you can still use it to seed! That might shorten the waiting game just a bit... I hate the waiting game...

 

[Marconis]

Are you thinking of heterocysts?