How long to mature extra the bio filter for?

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PattyCakes81

PattyCakes81

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In a couple of weeks, I am planning to add more fish to my tank.

20 gallon high planted tank

Fauna:
3 Cardinal Tetras
4 Panda Corydoras
3 Nerite Snail

Flora:
Regular Amazon Sword
Regular and Windelov Java Fern
Tropica Sword
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Mi Oya
Bacopa Carolina
Anubias Barteri Var. Nana
One lonely Cryptocoryne Parva
Cryptocoryne Spiralis

I would like to add an extra smaller HOB filter. Maybe I'll get the AquaClear 20 or the Marina Slim S10.

If I get the Marina I am going to MOD it with my extra AquaClear biomax and foam (most likely doing this).

I have a friend who has a healthy, very stocked 55 gallon tank and he would let me hang my filter in it to mature the filter media.

If I place it for three weeks I am waiting to add more fish, would that be enough time to have some beneficial bacteria established?

All help welcomed,
Patricia






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Byron Amazonas

Byron Amazonas

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Patricia, this is not safe. Never use wet material, be it filter media, substrate, decor, etc. from someone else's aquarium. You've no idea what pathogens it may be bringing over. We quarantine new fish (and sometimes plants) for the same reason.

Aside from that, there is no need to do this anyway. Your aquarium has by now an established colony of nitrifying bacteria/arachea, and if ammonia should increase, it will multiply accordingly and within roughly 9 hours. But this too is rather unimportant, since you have plants, and they can take up a considerable level of ammonia and do so faster than the nitrifiers. I recall Tom Barr once telling me that it is highly unlikely we would have a situation where the plants could not handle increases in ammonia from newly added fish.

Byron.
 
tanker

tanker

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Hi Patricia:

1) I agree with Byron, I would never used another persons "Wet Material" in my tank. There may be dormant pathogens that may not show in the other tank.
2) Just hanging a filter in an extabished tank does not "season" the filter with good bacteria. The bacteria in located on surfaces--Filter media, gravel, palnts, ect.
3) If your tank is already cycled and have palnts then go ahead and add more fish slowly.
4) With enough plants (and fast growing ones help) you may never measure ammonia.

PS--I would up the total of Cardinals.


Jessica
 
PattyCakes81

PattyCakes81

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Byron Amazonas said:
Patricia, this is not safe. Never use wet material, be it filter media, substrate, decor, etc. from someone else's aquarium. You've no idea what pathogens it may be bringing over. We quarantine new fish (and sometimes plants) for the same reason.

Aside from that, there is no need to do this anyway. Your aquarium has by now an established colony of nitrifying bacteria/arachea, and if ammonia should increase, it will multiply accordingly and within roughly 9 hours. But this too is rather unimportant, since you have plants, and they can take up a considerable level of ammonia and do so faster than the nitrifiers. I recall Tom Barr once telling me that it is highly unlikely we would have a situation where the plants could not handle increases in ammonia from newly added fish.

Byron.
Click to expand...
Thanks Byron! I don't want to do anything to compromise my tank.

I guess am just going to add the extra filter to add more flow where the Anubias Barteri Var. Nana is.

So out can keep debris off of it and of course for extra filtration. You can never have too much filtration!



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PattyCakes81

PattyCakes81

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tanker said:
Hi Patricia:

1) I agree with Byron, I would never used another persons "Wet Material" in my tank. There may be dormant pathogens that may not show in the other tank.
2) Just hanging a filter in an extabished tank does not "season" the filter with good bacteria. The bacteria in located on surfaces--Filter media, gravel, palnts, ect.
3) If your tank is already cycled and have palnts then go ahead and add more fish slowly.
4) With enough plants (and fast growing ones help) you may never measure ammonia.

PS--I would up the total of Cardinals.


Jessica
Click to expand...
Thanks Jessica! I did try to increase the total of Cardinals again. On May 14, 2014, I added 3 cardinal Tetras along with 6 panda cories and 2 nerite snails.

All 3 new cardinal Tetras and 2 panda cories did not survive pass a couple of days.:(

I did get refunded by LiveAquaria. You think I should try again in 3 weeks?

Planning on getting at least 2 more cardinal Tetras, 5 black neon Tetras (or glowlight Tetras) 1 honey gourami, and maybe 1 or 2 platies.

What you guys think?

Thanks,
Patricia
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Byron Amazonas

Byron Amazonas

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PattyCakes81 said:
Thanks Byron! I don't want to do anything to compromise my tank.

I guess am just going to add the extra filter to add more flow where the Anubias Barteri Var. Nana is.

So out can keep debris off of it and of course for extra filtration. You can never have too much filtration.
Click to expand...
Actually, you can. It is a common misconception that more filtration must mean cleaner water, but this is a myth. You can actually harm fish and plants with too much water flow. And as the plants are doing the work of filtration, let them get on with it and save your money. Water flow should be what the fish require, obviously. I always let that (the fish species' requirements) govern my water movement.

And before someone jumps on it, I am assuming in saying this that the tank is biologically balanced. Obviously someone who keeps too many or too large a fish in an inappropriate sized tank is bound to have problems and filtration can impact this. But still up to a point, as "filtration" is not the magical cure-all for problems. There is a true limit to how much beneficial filtration can take place in an aquarium, and adding more filters past this point achieves nothing but more water flow for no benefit and costing money in electricity.

On the flow next to Anubias, I would not; this is almost guaranteed to be a recipe for brush algae.

Byron.
 
Last edited:
PattyCakes81

PattyCakes81

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Byron Amazonas said:
Actually, you can. It is a common misconception that more filtration must mean cleaner water, but this is a myth. You can actually harm fish and plants with too much water flow. And as the plants are doing the work of filtration, let them get on with it and save your money. Water flow should be what the fish require, obviously. I always let that (the fish species' requirements) govern my water movement.

And before someone jumps on it, I am assuming in saying this that the tank is biologically balanced. Obviously someone who keeps too many or too large a fish in an inappropriate sized tank is bound to have problems and filtration can impact this. But still up to a point, as "filtration" is not the magical cure-all for problems. There is a true limit to how much beneficial filtration can take place in an aquarium, and adding more filters past this point achieves nothing but more water flow for no benefit and costing money in electricity.

On the flow next to Anubias, I would not; this is almost guaranteed to be a recipe for brush algae.

Byron.
Click to expand...
Thanks Byron for the great information. It's greatly appreciated.

Patricia

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jm1212

jm1212

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I know many people that have had no problems using material from another tank. I myself have provided material or filter squeezings (that brown poopy looking stuff that comes out of a filter after cleaning) for friends and family. as long as the tank is established and obviously healthy, you should not see any issue. as such, you can use the media from your tank to seed other tanks.
 
gmh

gmh

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What are your water parameters? I'm just wondering why you lost all those new fish. Perhaps you have high nitrates that your original stock has adapted to but new fish cannot tolerate. Or maybe the new fish were from a poor source.
At any rate, I'd say introducing new media from another tank is not necessary in your case since you already have an established tank with a seeded filter.
 
PattyCakes81

PattyCakes81

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gmh said:
What are your water parameters? I'm just wondering why you lost all those new fish. Perhaps you have high nitrates that your original stock has adapted to but new fish cannot tolerate. Or maybe the new fish were from a poor source.
At any rate, I'd say introducing new media from another tank is not necessary in your case since you already have an established tank with a seeded filter.
Click to expand...
Water Parameters:
Ammonia-0ppm
Nitrites-0ppm
Nitrates-20ppm

I got the new fishes from LiveAquaria. The 4 panda Corydoras and 2 Nerite snails left are doing really well. Active and healthy.

Patricia


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