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View Full Version : Established Filter Media Waiting for me in a bag of Water for 5 hrs (Immediate Help)


Seņor Discus
04-04-2018, 12:10 PM
I had a friend give me her established media filter from her in tank filter. She just did it and I will only be able to get it to my tank at the end of the work day at 6p today.
Will the bacteria colony survive 5 or so hours in a bag of water or should I ask her to place it back in the tank until then end of the day?

I am thinking it will as they sell nitrifying bacteria in a bottle. But I thought maybe having the bacteria go from such a flourished environment to a bag it would disturb the colony and possibly kill it.
Cosmo
04-04-2018, 01:30 PM
If it is a plastic bag with an amount of air above the waterline, and the bag is sealed (similar to when a fish is shipped), you should be okay. Or, if it is a bowl that barely covers the media and open on top, you could stir the water occasionally to keep them oxygenated. If she can put it back in her tank until it's time to go home, that would be your best bet.
Seņor Discus
04-04-2018, 01:51 PM
If it is a plastic bag with an amount of air above the waterline, and the bag is sealed (similar to when a fish is shipped), you should be okay. Or, if it is a bowl that barely covers the media and open on top, you could stir the water occasionally to keep them oxygenated. If she can put it back in her tank until it's time to go home, that would be your best bet.

Yea, I was concerned about oxygen. blah! Hopefully she can get it back in her tank. Thanks a lot Cosmo!
100fuegos
04-04-2018, 03:10 PM
First of all it is a really bad idea to bring filter media from someone elses tank to yours, you are simply bringing everything with it. If you have to do so it is best to keep it out of water but still wet than keep it submerged in still water. Keep it damp that is.
Seņor Discus
04-04-2018, 03:45 PM
First of all it is a really bad idea to bring filter media from someone elses tank to yours, you are simply bringing everything with it. If you have to do so it is best to keep it out of water but still wet than keep it submerged in still water. Keep it damp that is.

Thanks Fuegos! I understand what you mean about bringing their whole environment with it essentially, but even if you trust the source?

I wound up speaking with her earlier and she said she hasn't even changed it out and that she will be remvoing it from her tank only a couple hours before I get it from her.
SNap0283
04-04-2018, 04:29 PM
It will be fine. The amount of oxygen the bacteria needs is maybe a cubic centimeter per hour. If it was vacuum sealed it would probably last a few hours. As long as it doesn't dry out there is no risk at all. Sure you might lose some but they replenish quickly. Within 24 hours anything that died off will be back.
Seņor Discus
04-04-2018, 05:38 PM
It will be fine. The amount of oxygen the bacteria needs is maybe a cubic centimeter per hour. If it was vacuum sealed it would probably last a few hours. As long as it doesn't dry out there is no risk at all. Sure you might lose some but they replenish quickly. Within 24 hours anything that died off will be back.

The oxygen consumption rate is good to know. Also I hear that this type of bacteria doubles every 36 or so hours at optimum growing conditions i.e. pH, temp, etc. Does that sound right?
Cosmo
04-04-2018, 06:31 PM
it is not uncommon for some Discus breeders or wholesalers to send along a cultured sponge filter if the customer's tank is not setup. So long as it is packaged correctly it can easily last 24 hours or more (like the fish do)
SNap0283
04-04-2018, 09:18 PM
Sometimes we forget how hardy life is. I regularly pull my sponge filters from a tank at 85F clean them under the tap that's 45-50F and plop them right back in the 85F tank and never have a problem. Now I wouldn't suggest doing that I have unchlorinated well water but it just goes to show they survive major swings without a problem.
Filip
04-05-2018, 03:09 AM
A risky move IMO . There is no such thing as "trusted source" when it comes to cross-contamination problems .

About the BBs , sure they will survive .They are much hardier in practice then in theory .
Even if they die off by 80% , they will multiply again in a matter of day . They double their population in 10-20 hours period , Nitrosomonas in 10 and Nitrobacter in 20 hours period.
100fuegos
04-05-2018, 08:34 AM
A risky move IMO . There is no such thing as "trusted source" when it comes to cross-contamination problems .

(...)

This!!!
Seņor Discus
04-05-2018, 10:31 AM
A risky move IMO . There is no such thing as "trusted source" when it comes to cross-contamination problems .

About the BBs , sure they will survive .They are much hardier in practice then in theory .
Even if they die off by 80% , they will multiply again in a matter of day . They double their population in 10-20 hours period , Nitrosomonas in 10 and Nitrobacter in 20 hours period.

Thanks for the info Filip! I know what you mean about the trusted source deal and all that. But I went ahead and did it anyway. I was hesitant at first but I think it will be fine.

Thanks for the info about the BB. They multiply fast! Not as fast as others, but significantly enough!
Seņor Discus
04-05-2018, 10:32 AM
This!!!

I understand your concern. I was a hesitant for sure when I put it in there cuz of your advice. But I went ahead and seeded it anyway. I think it will be okay. I will keep you posted though!
Seņor Discus
04-06-2018, 09:14 AM
Well I seeded my tank the day before yesterday (4/4/18) and not much has hastened itself since. Before I put the established media my tank was reducing Ammonia by about .25 ppm per day and not doing much

Prior to tank seeding Ammonia levels, Nitrites, and Nitrates were:

Morning:
Amm: 2.5
Ite:2.0
Ate:5.0

Evening:
Amm: 2.25
Ite:2.25
Ate:7

After the seeding of one day:

Morning:
Amm: 2.0
Ite:2.25
Ate:7

Evening:
Amm: 1.25
Ite: 5.0
Ate:13

I thought the new media would destroy the Ammonia, but I guess given it was from a ten gallon tank it wouldn't do what I was presuming it would do would it?

It just seems to have increased the consumption rate of the ammonia and obvious development of Nitrites. I seem to have a lot of those but maybe the colony that converts Nitrite to Nitrate hasn't enough mature members to be reducing Nitrites as rapidly as I had hoped?

Thanks for reading and the input.
SNap0283
04-06-2018, 12:49 PM
It should only take a few days for the colonies to grow to reducing 2.0ppm to 0 in a day. Keep us posted though I would be interested in seeing the day to day developments.
Seņor Discus
04-06-2018, 01:56 PM
It should only take a few days for the colonies to grow to reducing 2.0ppm to 0 in a day. Keep us posted though I would be interested in seeing the day to day developments.

I have actually recorded this data in excel and will be making a graph when I get home today haha. Will keep you posted!