How long does media/BB last ?

[HoundsNTrout]

I already asked this somewhere but can't find it .

How long would bb last in wet media, no aeration or water flowing? anyone have any idea. Temp's probably never went too far one way or another.

I am starting some fathead minnows in a 55 for feeders and also stock my ponds. The media has been sitting for 6 months.
Thanks.

 

[Grinch]

There is surely a colony of nitrifying bacteria present, but the size of the colony/community is likely very small relative to what it will need to be in order to support a bunch of fish.

 

[HoundsNTrout]

There is surely a colony of nitrifying bacteria present, but the size of the colony/community is likely very small relative to what it will need to be in order to support a bunch of fish.

Thanks. I just wanted to use all the media that was in there as seeding and didnt know if it would still be viable whatsoever.

 

[skjl47]

The media has been sitting for 6 months.

Hello; My take is that after six months there is no point in using the old media as is. I would clean it if it is the solid type such as ceramic and discard if it is the throwaway type.

If you do not have another tank going from which to take some active bb colonies for seeding, then start as with a brand new setup.

 

[Drstrangelove]

I'm going to suggest they are gone. In a tank that hasn't been used, there's no food. Zero. At low pH or low temps, they will reduce their metabolism, but at normal ranges of temperature and pH, they would imo perish over than span of time.

They don't create spores, so they don't have a mechanism to wait out famine.

 

[HoundsNTrout]

Thanks. That's what I expected but was still unsure. I mean I don't know if there IS any number to put on how long they would stay. I was thinking a month without food but not 6. lol
But I read somewhere they can live a "long" time. I seeded it with the old media but no harm done I suppose. Its cut up snow fencing stuffed into where there was originally the disposable ones. THey have a lot more surface area. I switched all my tanks to snow fencing.
This small one is for raising fathead minnows and breeding them to stock the trout ponds and occasional feeding and also train the 4 inch jobbers to eat the minnows. lol
Thanks again. I'll just wait it out.

 

[skjl47]

I seeded it with the old media but no harm done I suppose.

Hello; To put a fine point in it you actually did not "seed" because the bb are gone after six months. Without live cultures from another source you are looking at up to six weeks of a cycle just as in a brand new setup. I hope you have another source of bb or you will wait before adding fish.
If the old snow fence was not cleaned, it has all the crud from the last time in a tank and has been accumulating dust, bugs and whatever fell in over six months. If it were my tank I would take that old dirty snow fence out and give it a good clean.

 

[HoundsNTrout]

Hello; To put a fine point in it you actually did not "seed" because the bb are gone after six months. Without live cultures from another source you are looking at up to six weeks of a cycle just as in a brand new setup. I hope you have another source of bb or you will wait before adding fish.
If the old snow fence was not cleaned, it has all the crud from the last time in a tank and has been accumulating dust, bugs and whatever fell in over six months. If it were my tank I would take that old dirty snow fence out and give it a good clean.

Alright, that's what I'll do. I can always take some out of my 1,000 gallon tanks. Should not need much out of those, however they are 55 to 60 degree bb, not the 70 I want the fatheads to breed at.

 

[Drstrangelove]

But I read somewhere they can live a "long" time.

I'm not sure what that means. People might live for 100 years, but their skin cells only last for 2 weeks.

A person might have BB in a living, active tank for years. None of the BB cells in that tank however are the original cells though. The cells keep dividing and the old ones die off while the new ones gain energy and divide again.

 

[skjl47]

however they are 55 to 60 degree bb, not the 70 I want the fatheads to breed at.

Hello; While I do not have any detailed knowledge as to there being some bb that only thrive at 55 to 60 degrees and not at 70, my guess is that the bb will do ok at either temperature.