Filter maturation

[2pods]

If I run a spare internal filter in my 400l tank (medium fish load , plants,
it's own internal and external filters and UV), how long would it take to
mature ?

If this can be done, could I then move it with some filter medium, gravel,
and plants to a new tank without seeing a cycle ?

Peter

[NetMax]

"2pods" > wrote in message
...
> If I run a spare internal filter in my 400l tank (medium fish load ,
> plants, it's own internal and external filters and UV), how long would it
> take to mature ?

I've never seen a data-supported response to this common question. I prime
filters with about 1 month of parallel operation.

> If this can be done, could I then move it with some filter medium, gravel,
> and plants to a new tank without seeing a cycle ?
>
> Peter

Absolutely. It would depend on the fish-load you want to support in the new
tank, versus the fish-load it was supporting while it was being primed. I
use a 4:1 rule. If two established identical filters were supporting 40" of
fish, then one of these could support 10" of fish in a new tank without a
mini-cycle of any consequence. This assumes the 10" of fish being moved are
representative of 25% of the bio-load (in terms of mass and food
consumption), otherwise adjust accordingly. The source tank losing one
filter (or 50% of its artificial biological filtration) would need to be
watched (all depends on how well stocked the tank is (fish-load to square
inches of surface) and how dependant it is on bacterial filtration (which
depends on how well planted it is with growing plants).

In a lab, the nitrifying bacteria double their population in about 8 hours
(iris), so in theory, the culture could multiply by a factor of eight in 24
hours. I wouldn't count on more than a factor of two, but the point is that
when you are dealing with established filters (with billions of bacteria)
the situation is very different than when you are starting a new tank with
100s of bacteria.

'Cycling' a tank is really only a major concern with the first tank in a
home. Subsequent tanks are easily seeded. People with MATS (multiple tank
syndrome ;~) don't worry about cycling as they have their techniques down to
a fine art. When setting up a new tank, I don't cycle it as much as I
cycle a filter a month before, on an established tank). The 'cycled' filter
(or filter media) moves to the new tank and I'm good to go.

You might want to turn off the UV during your priming exercise, as they are
quite indiscriminate between good and bad bacteria in the water column.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Gill Passman]

2pods wrote:
> If I run a spare internal filter in my 400l tank (medium fish load , plants,
> it's own internal and external filters and UV), how long would it take to
> mature ?
>
> If this can be done, could I then move it with some filter medium, gravel,
> and plants to a new tank without seeing a cycle ?
>
> Peter
>
>

Hi Peter,

I usually run the filter for about two weeks in the existing tank before
moving it. I then fill the new tank with some of the water from the
existing, and take some gravel, plants, decorations etc over to the new
tank. I then add the fish SLOWLY to the new tank in the same way as I
would if cycling from scratch - this should be done at the same time as
moving the filter to keep the waste up for feeding the bacteria. I
monitor both the existing and the new tank for ammonia and nitrites for
the next week or so. The reason I do the existing tank as well is that I
have removed some of the bacteria along with the filter and just want to
be sure that this does not adversely affect the fish in the old tank.

Gill

[2pods]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> 2pods wrote:
>> If I run a spare internal filter in my 400l tank (medium fish load ,
>> plants, it's own internal and external filters and UV), how long would it
>> take to mature ?
>>
>> If this can be done, could I then move it with some filter medium,
>> gravel, and plants to a new tank without seeing a cycle ?
>>
>> Peter
>
> Hi Peter,
>
> I usually run the filter for about two weeks in the existing tank before
> moving it. I then fill the new tank with some of the water from the
> existing, and take some gravel, plants, decorations etc over to the new
> tank. I then add the fish SLOWLY to the new tank in the same way as I
> would if cycling from scratch - this should be done at the same time as
> moving the filter to keep the waste up for feeding the bacteria. I monitor
> both the existing and the new tank for ammonia and nitrites for the next
> week or so. The reason I do the existing tank as well is that I have
> removed some of the bacteria along with the filter and just want to be
> sure that this does not adversely affect the fish in the old tank.
>
> Gill

Thanks Gill and Max (ladies first ;-))

My partner has been making noises recently about getting her own small tank
and I would like to be prepared just in case :-)

I seem to remember the Rekord60 with the Neons, Platys, and two Bronze Corys
were meant to be hers.....ooops !

Peter

[Koi-lo]

"2pods" > wrote in message
...
> If I run a spare internal filter in my 400l tank (medium fish load ,
> plants, it's own internal and external filters and UV), how long would it
> take to mature ?
>
> If this can be done, could I then move it with some filter medium, gravel,
> and plants to a new tank without seeing a cycle ?
=========================
YES definitely! Just keep the fish load low temporarily in the tank you're
moving to it. Remember that the bacteria in the starting tank is all over
everything in that tank, not just in the filter/filters. You're only moving
PART of the needed bacteria with the filter. Add new fish slowing to tank
#2.
--
Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy
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