Filter + Filter Media from established tank

D

dslam

AC Members
Jan 17, 2006
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I bought a filter + media from a friend who a good running tank, disease free and cycled. He just bought a massive fluval 404. This little submersible filter is for a 20g, but i have a filter for a 40g running as well as I have a 30gallon tank. I'm using it to help cycle my tank, which has been running about a week. The filter hadn't been turned on in their tank for about a week, so is it going to help at all? It had previously been running for a couple of months.
Second question, I have another 30gallon I was going to use to attempt to breed livebreeders, if i keep the water level low, this filter should have no trouble keeping it clean, should it?
 
dslam said:
I bought a filter + media from a friend who a good running tank, disease free and cycled. He just bought a massive fluval 404. This little submersible filter is for a 20g, but i have a filter for a 40g running as well as I have a 30gallon tank. I'm using it to help cycle my tank, which has been running about a week. The filter hadn't been turned on in their tank for about a week, so is it going to help at all? It had previously been running for a couple of months.
Second question, I have another 30gallon I was going to use to attempt to breed livebreeders, if i keep the water level low, this filter should have no trouble keeping it clean, should it?
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i was told keeping the media out of the water for more then a few hours would kill everything.
so to answer your question: no, i dont think it will help.
but will it hurt? i doubt it...
 
If the filter hasn't been running, it will most likely not help, if it has been sitting dry outside of a tank it definately will not help.
dave
 
I'd try anyhow

I'd give the sponges a good gentle rinse with tank water and try it anyhow. It may be that deep in the sponges there is enough dampness to keep bacteria alive.

I actually had great success cycling a tank with a very, very dried out biowheel. The ammonia dropped rapidly in the 5 days I ran the test and probably would have hit zero in another day or 2 but I had to move the tank from the garage and had to stop the test. That filter and biowheel had sat dry in a hot attic for 6 months or more. the tank itself was bare and had been sterilized, the only other equipment was a new heater and a used ammonia alert tag which could not have transfered much bacteria. IMHO, the filter media sitting in air, possibly damp inside, is probably more likely to have live bacteria than the same media sitting in the tank underwater with no flow and no oxygen, just guessing here, not based on any data.
 
Not to hijack a thread, but I have a related question.

I have an aquaclear 300 and the new 70 model running in my 30 gal tank. I am going to be setting up a 300 soon, will the filter media be of benefit in such a large differance in size?
 
Sorry! I should have been more clear!
The filter + media have been in the tank the entire time, but have not been plugged in and running. They were out of the water for about 10 minutes in a bag with tankwater when i transported them. Wondering if the fact that this formerly functional filter in the tank, which was dormant for the week before i took it out, would retain any bacteria?
 
At a minimum it would retain some on the outside surfaces. The bacteria require Oxygen and food (respective nitrogen compound) both of which come via water circulation. There is always some gas exchange so there would be some survivors even if the fiter was complety without circulation. I would definately use it, and see what it does. as said earlier by someone, it won't hurt to try.
Dave
 
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