New Sponge Filter

[Cosmo]

I recently aquired some new Discus, and it seems as though the Albino Yellow Butterfly and the Snow White are anxious to be parents - they've spawned several times in the community tank so I'm busily setting up a breeding tank for them, including the cutlivation of a new sponge filter (I normally don't use sponge filters due to the type tank I have and the way it's setup).

SO, I have the sponge in the established tank, but I'm curious how long it will take to become sufficiently populated with bacteria to support the breeding tank. In the past I used the ammonia method, but I really don't want to go through that and it's not thef quickest method anyway. My concern is my water has zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and barely measurable nitrates, so, there is really not much food for new colonies to eat while they establish themselves.

The sponge establishing itself sufficiently is basically what the timeline for their move is now based on as everything else is pretty much ready

It's been a long time since I've setup a new sponge filter, so your thoughts and feedback would be appreciated :)

Thanks

[SNap0283]

Depends what type of filter you are already running in the tank. Remove some of the media/bacteria. Thatll create a need for new colonies to grow and they will on the sponge. If you do it that way a week will be all you need. Less if you can move the sponge and some of the filter media into the breeder setup. Even if the media is just sitting on the bottom of the tank its chock full of bacteria and will help. In emergencies ive rushed this process to just a few days and never had a problem, if youre doing 50-75% water changes nothing builds up before its removed and the cycle catches up.

[Jack L]

I have done a filter squeeze to jump start new media and it kept up without any spikes

[runner]

I have been in the same situation many times. What I have done is put the fish in my water, well water with 0 ammonia, ect, much the same as yours . Change about 50% wc daily to leave a little ammonia, .5ppm, in for bacterial food but not enough to harm the fish
Constantly checking ammonia and after about 2-3 weeks ammonia will drop to less then ..25ppm or less
Contrary to what most folks say on this form that they have 0 ammonia that seems to me to be impossible. The fish are constantly urinating, food is being introduced, ect.
The fact that the filters are working means that they are getting food, ammonia, and in my opinion they can't process it instantaneously so therefore there has to be ammonia present in some amount.
Jay

[DJW]

How well seeded or populated the sponge is depends on whether you did a fishless cycle, whether the fish were added at the same time as the sponge, and how long after the fish were added was the sponge added. Its a fun mental exercise but its also a kind of paralysis by analysis.

I would just figure that the sponge is seeded and move the fish and do large daily WC's. Squeezing the foam portion of the main filter into the sponge like Jack does will speed things up.

Dan

[Cosmo]

Thanks all :)

I figured doing big wc's would alleviate most of any problem but I really want a good robust bio filter too before they move. I also bought a little box filter from Jehmco that I can put a decent amount of established substrate into, it would instantly ready to go but I'll need to put the media into a bag cause fry would be able to enter the plastic box - would rather go with the sponge though - maybe both for a week or two? lol Without elaborating, my entire 180 gal tank is my main filter so in a sense the sponge is sitting inside my main filter :p, I also have an Eheim wet/dry cannister underneath (which I can't squeeze the sponge inside of).

runner - maybe you're right, perhaps I should have said the ammonia in my water is so low it can't be measured?

Thinking I'll schedule the move for a week from today.. I'll let you know how it goes :)

Thanks again!