Moving media between filters?

[G8zzaj]

Hi everyone,

I have a 180G set up with an arowana, BD stingray and peacock bass been running 6 months now org 2 FX6 and a 65G tank with frontosa and clown loaches that’s been running 18 months with a sun sun 304b.

I have a 160G tank coming on Monday to move the frontosa into and have the rest of the colony being delivered, this will have 2 FX6 on it.

My question is if I take a tray of media out of each of the filters and put them in the new filters along with the sand and rocks from the 60G, will this have enough BB to cycle the new tank immediately and will the other tanks be ok or will they crash losing a 1/3rd of the media?

 

[Midwater]

IMO, taking - even a significant amount of - media from an established filter to a new tank, is an excellent seed, but would still fall short of a fully mature cycled tank and filter. Stock slowly and check water often.

 

[Something Fishy Here]

Agreed, it's all about the bb colonys capacity to handle bioload. And the chances that the bb colony is exactly matched to the new bioload is so unlikely its impossible. But an established colony in transferred media can adapt pretty quickly, but maybe over a few weeks not overnight. Your existing tanks should be fine IMO even with removing 1/3 of the media but check parameters and be ready for increased water changes while the bb colony recovers. As far as the new tank if your only moving some of the fish from the 66 it really depends on how many new fish are being delivered. Again check parameters at least daily and maybe twice daily, and be prepared to do water changes as needed.

 

[fishdance]

If your established tank has substrate, move that accross. Substrate will have much more beneficial bacteria than any filter ever will.

 

[neutrino]

I've done the same kind of thing any number of times with no problems or ammonia issues. In short it will vary some with the particulars, including how many fish you're moving where, but it's certainly possible to essentially transfer a cycle to a new tank. When I do it I feed lightly for a few days or so in the affected tanks.

As far as substrate has more bacteria than filter media, that depends. In most cases good bio media will have more per the same volume, so where that can be true is assuming you have a greater volume of substrate in the tank than media in your filters.

I find these handy for water monitoring and peace of mind that things are going well.

https://www.seachem.com/ammonia-alert.php

 

[esoxlucius]

These questions come up all the time, and there simply is no definitive answer.

Yes, moving already established media, or gravel, or ornaments with BB attached across to your new set up will undeniably aid you, that is a fact.

How much it aids you is the big question, one that we can only speculate about given that we aren't familiar with your system.

The definitive answer which you are looking for will be provided by your test kit. Simple as that.

 

[tlindsey]

These questions come up all the time, and there simply is no definitive answer.

Yes, moving already established media, or gravel, or ornaments with BB attached across to your new set up will undeniably aid you, that is a fact.

How much it aids you is the big question, one that we can only speculate about given that we aren't familiar with your system.

The definitive answer which you are looking for will be provided by your test kit. Simple as that.

+1

 

[Azedenkae]

If your established tank has substrate, move that accross. Substrate will have much more beneficial bacteria than any filter ever will.

I don't think you can say this as a generalization.

I have at least for one tank tested this and found that my biomedia rather was performing pretty much all of my nitrification. The tank had about an inch of sand + 1.5lb of 'live rock', in quotation marks because it's the 'live rock' used in marine aquariums, but I had it in a freshwater setting instead so it may or may not work the same in terms of being a home for microorganisms. However, I also had a lot of CerMedia MarinePure, and yeah, with the flow focused through all the MarinePure, the MarinePure ended up with the nitrifiers instead.

I'd say it is a lot more complex, involving multiple factors - how much flow through/over substrate versus in the filter, how much substrate and how much biomedia, and even what type of biomedia too. Probably also, whether one is getting flow to go through biomedia rather than around.

 

[Backfromthedead]

I don't think you can say this as a generalization.

I have at least for one tank tested this and found that my biomedia rather was performing pretty much all of my nitrification. The tank had about an inch of sand + 1.5lb of 'live rock', in quotation marks because it's the 'live rock' used in marine aquariums, but I had it in a freshwater setting instead so it may or may not work the same in terms of being a home for microorganisms. However, I also had a lot of CerMedia MarinePure, and yeah, with the flow focused through all the MarinePure, the MarinePure ended up with the nitrifiers instead.

I'd say it is a lot more complex, involving multiple factors - how much flow through/over substrate versus in the filter, how much substrate and how much biomedia, and even what type of biomedia too. Probably also, whether one is getting flow to go through biomedia rather than around.

I think the substrate may be so effective because it can be so saturated with detritus and fish waste in varying states of decomposition.

I think that a lot of people read the established bb advice, take their established bio media and throw it in a tank full of fresh water and no fish. Well there's no food in there for the bb and a significant percentage dies. 2 weeks later the keepers big fish shipment comes in and there's all sorts of spikes and mini cycling happening...

In essence substrate is bio media. This is the same concept found in commercially available arag-alive for marine tanks, which ime works quite well for cycling.

I agree with your suggestion concerning flow through your bio media. But I would also agree with when you said it could be more complex. Hell, you may actually want some of your biomedia NOT to get as much flow to cultivate certain bb that proliferate in more stagnant water.

 

[Fishman Dave]

I’m not going to get drawn into a conversation on the sources of bb, the nitrate cycle, the types of bb, the other bacteria which are just as needed, other than to say that the whole subject has way too many myths and falsehoods surrounding it, but suffice to say that “generally” a good, well functioning, adequately sized, aquarium bio filter will contain around four times more beneficial bacteria than the aquarium gravel, ornaments and all surfaces ever should, as that’s what it is designed to do.

It should help, providing lots of things, but none of us can say a definite Yes to your actual question.