Cultured Gravel???

sly2kusa

sly2kusa

Lover of Esox
Jul 25, 2006
181
0
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Hi -

Another probably dumb question, but here it goes. I have read in several places that putting some cultured gravel that came out of another tank is a good thing for the bacteria of your tank.

My feeling on this is that this could be a bad thing (because who knows what was in the tank it came from, and if there is some disease or something attached to that gravel). This was confirmed by my LFS, but since I have been hearing so much that my LFS's advice to this point has been off - I wanted to pose it to you guys for your input.

Much thanks in advance
 
It is true that gravel, or even better some of the gunk squezed from a filter cartride will contain some of the bacteria you need for the nitrification process. If you are starting a cycle this will definatly be a good thing to help it along. I actually cycled my 2.5 gallon in a day with squeezings from my 55.

You are correct that "who knows" what will be in there though. You wont ever be 100% safe doing this, but using a tank that you are fairly sure is stable and desease free would be advisable. For example, I would not use a LFS for this purpose, but I would definatly accept squeezings from Daveedka, RTR, HT, or any of the highly trusted members here.
 
DISCLAIMER: I have no idea, but it fits the topic.

I don't want to hijack this thread as much as add a question/topic to it.

If you are taking bacteria culture on media to use for seeding a tank (since we know you do coldwater, don't know if you keep trops) I might suggest avoiding adding tropical filter media into coldwater and vice versa. Some pathogens that would be held in check in one tank/temp may bloom in another (the way some strains of ich will thrive in one temperature, and die off or remain dormant in another).

I may be totally off base on this... but I figure conversely since goldfish get ich easier at tropical temps, tropical ich might be more invasive or deadly in a coldwater setup since it is so heat sensitive...

I would be interested in what more knowledgeable members would say on that theory?

:read:
 
I'm just going to stay the course I believe. I just changed one of the original filters from my Emperor 400 this weekend with 2 new ones in the inside slot. My plan is to do this each week over the course of August each week until all slots are full with 2 carbon filters. They original ones have been in there since I first set the tank up in May, and I had heard the same as you guys had been saying - that the carbon works for a few weeks, and then just becomes the bed for the bacteria.

I've been told that doubling up the filters will polish the tank pretty well. Would you guys agree? And about the ich and tropical temps - I plan to try and keep the Muskies at 66-68 degrees (their rand is 60-75). That way if there is ever a hotter than hot day, or if my AC ever goes out - they are already at the lower end of their rand and not the top end.

ICE ICE BABY! :cool:
 
Seems a very good point CW/Trop.

Are you actually swapping the filters or just rinsing in old tank water being taken out?

I run my carbon in the Mag 350's; the bigger the volume/surface area of the carbon the better.
 
rbishop said:
Seems a very good point CW/Trop.

Are you actually swapping the filters or just rinsing in old tank water being taken out?

I run my carbon in the Mag 350's; the bigger the volume/surface area of the carbon the better.
Click to expand...

I actually replaced it - no rinsing and reusing if that is what you meant?

The first one I started with is from the right side of my tank Emperor, and took out the inside filter. Put 2 new ones in it's place filling up both slots.

Now I did have Feeder Goldfish in there when I first started up the tank (wish I would have known that you could a fishless cycle, but didn't know about that nor this place back in May). Is Graph's point that their may be Ich in my tank currently that could become deadly toxic if my temps ever raise???
 
Ich is never toxic like a pollutant, it is a parasite and it's life cycle is ruled by temperature. If ich develops on your fish you would see it in the form of white spots and it is usually easily eliminated by adding salt and raising temperature.

My point is, if you get tropical ich in your tanks (by adding/seeding with tropical filter media) the temp might need to be raised to about 90 to kill it, which a coldwater fish probably wouldn't survive for long.

I'm not sure how the switch would raise the virulence of other disease, but wanted to raise the possibility.
 
graphicdesign_r said:
Ich is never toxic like a pollutant, it is a parasite and it's life cycle is ruled by temperature. If ich develops on your fish you would see it in the form of white spots and it is usually easily eliminated by adding salt and raising temperature.

My point is, if you get tropical ich in your tanks (by adding/seeding with tropical filter media) the temp might need to be raised to about 90 to kill it, which a coldwater fish probably wouldn't survive for long.

I'm not sure how the switch would raise the virulence of other disease, but wanted to raise the possibility.
Click to expand...


OK good - I added a half teaspoon of salf the day before the Muskies arrived back in June (this was suggested by you guessed it - my LFS - to aide them in gill function just in case the Nitrites caused any breathing problems). Thinking about everything we have been talking about here now it probably was another load of horse s h i t from my LFS, but to know that it may have taken care of any Ich problem that I may have not even been aware of is good to know now. I added the salt with a cup of water from the tank, and then dunked the cup a few times to make sure it got the whole mixture.
 
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