got it, but whats the difference of squeezing out his sponge filter media with his water into a bag for me and actually giving me the sponge, seems it would be pretty close.
Fishless Cycling
- Thread starter zennzzo
- Start date
Well, the point of bio-media (in most cases) is giving the bacteria a surface area to grow and colonize onto. Your BB colonizes on these surfaces, and stays there, so it's not really just floating around the tank in the water. If it was, when you did a large water change you would end up wiping the majority of your BB out, and would basically have to start over every week(if you do weekly wc like I do). You very well might have gotten a little bit of BB (but I'm not positive) from him squeezing it out, but chances are very slim and none that you did, and if you did it most likely wouldn't be enough to make a difference IMO. So really best bet would be to either get the current situation under control by using the advice others have given, or wipe everything out and start over, solely up to you. I tried a fish less cycle before, just seemed like a lot of work, I ended up just tossing in some baby mollies that were soon to be feeder fish anyways, and just kept up on the water changes to keep the ammonia from sky rocketing too high. Good luck in whatever your decision comes to!
thanks man, yeah Ive had tanks for ever until a few years ago but its all coming back to me, I just never did it this way and second thinking it now, then again the op did say it would take a while, I just didnt want to hurt any fish and thought it would be easier than doing water changes so much and it actually kind of is, however its still a long wait and just getting antsy, no big deal.BMac91;5036997; said:
Yeah I know the bacteria colonizes on the surfaces I just thought dumping it into my filter would work but I see what your saying.
Thanks man.
Ace Hardware Ammonia is the only kind I have been able to find that doesn't have dyes or other cleaning agents in them that will harm the tank. You want clear ammonia that when you shake doesn't have bubbles in it. Tank water from the lfs won't help, the bacteria live on filter media and to a lesser extent on tank surfaces like gravel. The lfs water will be more likely to have parasites etc. due to the condition of many of their tanks.
Squeezing out a sponge filter will work just fine. I've done it many times. Yes, there is very little beneficial bacteria in your water column, but there is plenty in a mature sponge filter, and squeezing it out will indeed release plenty of beneficial bacteria into the water.jason longboard;5036979; said:
Just realize, if you don't use it quickly, it will die from a lack of food (ammonia).
