View Full Version : Can I use Bio balls for fishless cycle?
fishy_sue
06-30-2006, 12:04 AM
Can I put a dozen bio balls in a cycled tank for a few days and then put them in the new tank to help the fishless cycle or should I just keep letting the dog play fetch with them? Thanks :help:
Roan Art
06-30-2006, 12:16 AM
Yes, you can, but you need to either feed ammonia to keep the bacteria alive or add some fish immediately.
It's no different from seeding with filter media.
Roan
liv2padl
06-30-2006, 6:08 AM
Can I put a dozen bio balls in a cycled tank for a few days a few days isn't nearly long enough ... it'll take a month for them to accumulate enough bacteria to run a new tank.
Roan Art
06-30-2006, 9:20 AM
a few days isn't nearly long enough ... it'll take a month for them to accumulate enough bacteria to run a new tank.
Woops, missed that "couple of days". Thanks, Dan.
Yes, you'll need to have them in the tank longer than that. FWIW I keep a couple of old biowheels floating in my established tanks all the time for emergencies.
Roan
fishy_sue
06-30-2006, 1:02 PM
How much media from the old tank? I am trying to start a 55gal tank. Thanks for all the help. I really don't want to hurt any fish with my lack of knowledge! :D
icecubez189
06-30-2006, 8:20 PM
what are bio balls anyways? are they just simply balls of bacteria?
Roan Art
06-30-2006, 11:11 PM
How much media from the old tank? I am trying to start a 55gal tank. Thanks for all the help. I really don't want to hurt any fish with my lack of knowledge! :D
Depends on how many fish you want to put in the 55gal. If you are seeding with media, start with a *few* fish -- what size and type are you going to stock? -- and work up from there. Don't go overboard or the bacteria you transfer will not be able to multiple enough to keep up.
Roan
Roan Art
06-30-2006, 11:13 PM
what are bio balls anyways? are they just simply balls of bacteria?
Bio balls are . . . sheesh, sometimes my brain goes south when I try to explain something, so bear with me . . . they are balls of material with tiny nooks and crannies (sounds like a commercial for Thomas's English Muffins) for bacteria to colonize in.
They are very "bacteria friendly".
blargh, someone else explain. I can't think tonight ;)
Roan
Rbishop
07-01-2006, 7:43 AM
They are round objects, with a lot of surface area for the bacteria to grow on. They are placed in various kinds of filters and actually come in many shapes. As your tank water flows through and around them, the bacteria get established there.
Here is a link to one of many styles...
http://www.petsolutions.com/Nano+Balls-I-42908200-I-C-39-C-.aspx