I had a 26G grow-out tank set up for ~ 6 months. I recently received a free 75G tank, so I moved the eight 2-3" fish and filter to the new tank. I also added a few more fish from another tank to the 75G.
I then moved three ~4" African Cichlids into the 26G tank to hold them until I take them to the LFS. The 26G only has a 12" bubble wand and power head for filtration. The only source of BB is what is in the gravel.
After one week here is what I observed:
- The 75G tank had detectable Ammonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate the first two days. Days three-six, I had no Ammonia, but detectable Nitrites & Nitrates. Day seven, tank was cycled (Nitrates only).
- The 26G was already cycled, but I had removed the filter. I did a 50% WC the day I moved the three large fish into the tank. After one week, the BB in the gravel is still keeping the ammonia & nitrites at zero. The gravel is the medium size river pebble about an inch deep.
Cycling the 75G in one week didn't surprise me as that is how long it took to cycle the 150G using seeded filter material.
However, the 26G readings did surprise me. After a week, I was ready to do another 50% WC assuming ammonia would be present. At the last minute I decided to measure it. I am starting to believe that gravel (and probably bio-media in filters) has far more capacity to support BB than I originally thought.
Has anyone come across an article, or experimented with, maximum bio-capacity? If I gradually removed my two canister filters on my 150G and replaced them with power heads, would the BB in the gravel/driftwood/rocks be able to maintain zero ammonia & nitrite readings?
I then moved three ~4" African Cichlids into the 26G tank to hold them until I take them to the LFS. The 26G only has a 12" bubble wand and power head for filtration. The only source of BB is what is in the gravel.
After one week here is what I observed:
- The 75G tank had detectable Ammonia, Nitrite, & Nitrate the first two days. Days three-six, I had no Ammonia, but detectable Nitrites & Nitrates. Day seven, tank was cycled (Nitrates only).
- The 26G was already cycled, but I had removed the filter. I did a 50% WC the day I moved the three large fish into the tank. After one week, the BB in the gravel is still keeping the ammonia & nitrites at zero. The gravel is the medium size river pebble about an inch deep.
Cycling the 75G in one week didn't surprise me as that is how long it took to cycle the 150G using seeded filter material.
However, the 26G readings did surprise me. After a week, I was ready to do another 50% WC assuming ammonia would be present. At the last minute I decided to measure it. I am starting to believe that gravel (and probably bio-media in filters) has far more capacity to support BB than I originally thought.
Has anyone come across an article, or experimented with, maximum bio-capacity? If I gradually removed my two canister filters on my 150G and replaced them with power heads, would the BB in the gravel/driftwood/rocks be able to maintain zero ammonia & nitrite readings?
