Cycling w/ Hydro Sponges

[aquagal]

I have just bleached out my 55-gal. I want to fill it up again and get it cycled. If I add a cycled hydro sponge, how long should I figure on the tank water getting cycled? I have to reestablish my bio media in my canister filter.

[brewmaster15]

If you add a cycled hydro then it depends on how many fish you will plan on adding and how much bacteria that hydro was supporting.........That hydro alone may be enough to handle the bioload of what you are stocking in the 55 gal...

For the cannisters to be re-seeded..thats also going to depend on how much bioload is added.. the filter needs ammonia and nitrite for the bacteria to start a population and grow..... the more bioload...the more waste that the filter can feed on.... but..the cannisters will be competing with thecycled hydro for the ammonia and nitrites... of benefit though is the cannisters flow is greater so it should be fine in a short time.

Sorry theres no easy answer there.

hth,
al

[aquagal]

Thanks Al--

I'm going to put 6 juvenilles in the 55-gal to start and them a few ancistrus. I still have the juvenilles in QT w/ 2 sponges. I was going to take one of the sponges and put in the 55-gal now and then add some "bacteria in a bottle".

When I add the 6 fish (I'm guessing in about a month?), I would add the second cycled sponge. I'm hoping this is a logical and successful plan. I'll continue to test to make sure.

[Ardan]

add the fish at the same time as the cycled sponges or the bacteria in the sponges will die, unless you put food or ammonia in the tank with the sponges, until you add the fish.

you don't have to worry about the "tank water getting cycled" only filters.

hth
Ardan

[brewmaster15]

I'd leave the cycled sponges in with the juvies in QT until you are ready to move them to the 55...then move the fish and both sponges at the same time to the 55gal... the two cycled hydros will have all the bacteria needed for the discus.... The cannisters will get seeded as time goes by but really don't matter if the two hydros are moved with the fish..

If you add the sponge and bottled bacteria as you are thinking you'll need to add ammonia to keep the bio alive... doing it this way is too much work!:)

-al

[aquagal]

Then do I even need to wait to add the fish or could I add them now to the 55-gal...I'm sure they would appreciate the excess room? I do have to reestablish bacteria in my canister but I have two fully cycled sponge filters in the QT tank with them now that I could add to the 55 gal w/ them?

[brewmaster15]

Since nothing is the 55...theres no reason why you can't qt the fish in there... I'm qting 14 adults in a 125 with 5 hydros and no other filtration.:)

hth,
al

[aquagal]

Great! I'll move them over...