How long can nitrifying bacteria live? I used my old filters/filter media/sand/rocks to cycle my brand new 125g tank.
I did fishless cycling, and the tank cycled in 7 days.
My old equipment has been in my parents' basement for the past 10 years. My fluval and eheim canisters were still full of dirty, brown water when I opened them. The rocks were all dry, but the sand was still damp.
So could the bacteria live for 10 years inside my old canister filters enclosed in water and my sand??? Can the bacteria survive in those conditions???
Here are the water parameters from Day 1 to Day 8. I added ammonia on Days 2&7.
All numbers in ppm.
Ammonia Nitrite
Day1 0 0
Day2 4 Didnt test
Day3 2 2
Day4 1 5+
Day5 0 2
Day6 0 0
Day7 2 Didnt test
Day8 0 0
I only tested nitrate on Day1&8. It was 0 on Day 1, and 40 on Day 8.
I did fishless cycling, and the tank cycled in 7 days.
My old equipment has been in my parents' basement for the past 10 years. My fluval and eheim canisters were still full of dirty, brown water when I opened them. The rocks were all dry, but the sand was still damp.
So could the bacteria live for 10 years inside my old canister filters enclosed in water and my sand??? Can the bacteria survive in those conditions???
Here are the water parameters from Day 1 to Day 8. I added ammonia on Days 2&7.
All numbers in ppm.
Ammonia Nitrite
Day1 0 0
Day2 4 Didnt test
Day3 2 2
Day4 1 5+
Day5 0 2
Day6 0 0
Day7 2 Didnt test
Day8 0 0
I only tested nitrate on Day1&8. It was 0 on Day 1, and 40 on Day 8.