It sounds like its both good since they eat up all the bad stuff? So how do you get "filter media"? Like that doesn't make any sense to me cause a filter uses the cartridges...you can't expect me to ask for a whole filter cartridge from a store. What would they give me?
ummm what?
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libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It depends on your filter. What type of filter do you have?
Some filters need filter media that have carbon inside a floss envelope. Some filters use carbon and a sponge separately and possibly (oh what's that stuff called....um....the little ammonia chips?) too. Personally, I like the media that are separate so that when it's time to change the carbon, you don't change the whole thing.
Some filters need filter media that have carbon inside a floss envelope. Some filters use carbon and a sponge separately and possibly (oh what's that stuff called....um....the little ammonia chips?) too. Personally, I like the media that are separate so that when it's time to change the carbon, you don't change the whole thing.
I have an AC50. But that doesn't mean the store or my friend has the same thing....just when someone says "get filter media from an established tank"...I need more than that. Like what to get and how much and where to put it and such.
libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Oh, you mean from an established tank. Sorry, I misunderstood. 
It doesn't have to be filter media. If you can get some gravel or some driftwood, that'll help.
It doesn't have to be filter media. If you can get some gravel or some driftwood, that'll help.
Sorry bout the delay in responding - but in terms of the 2 types of bacteria:
Heterotrophic bacteria are naturally self-defeating. So, unless you're dumping fish-killing-amounts of ammonia into your tank every day - the heterotrophs will all starve and eventually leave the Autotrophs to handle the cycle.
The reason Autotrophs maintain an aquarium cycle is that they're slow to reproduce, but they're also slow to starve - so they'll stick around and handle the ebb and flow of the "fish poo buffet".
Heterotrophic bacteria are naturally self-defeating. So, unless you're dumping fish-killing-amounts of ammonia into your tank every day - the heterotrophs will all starve and eventually leave the Autotrophs to handle the cycle.
The reason Autotrophs maintain an aquarium cycle is that they're slow to reproduce, but they're also slow to starve - so they'll stick around and handle the ebb and flow of the "fish poo buffet".
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
A small handfull of substrate or filter media will suffice. You can put it in a clean peice of nylons and just set it in the corner of your tank or actually in your filter if it will fit, until your filter populates. After that you can just throw it out in the trash. I also run an extra HOB filter on my active aquariums so that when I want to start a new tank or QT I already have a filter with established media in it.
libbyb
Aquarium Advice FINatic
You can offer to buy some new gravel in exchange for some of their old gravel. We're just giving you some ideas. You don't have to take anyone's advice. We just understand how hard it is to be patient. These ideas are just to speed up the process. You can do it without but it could take a couple of weeks longer.
mattrox
Aquarium Advice Addict
You let the natural cycle take care of that. After cycling it still takes a while for the aquarium to mature. That is why sometimes there is cloudy water in an aquarium even though the tank is cycled. There is enough bacteria in the filter to convert ammonia to nitrite then nitrate, but there is also a bacterial bloom in the water. Sometimes it takes a while to go away.
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