seasoning a sponge filter

[lauris]

I have a basic question. I know that if I run a new sponge filter in a tank that already contains a 'mature' sponge filter the new filter will get colonized with the beneficial bacteria necessary to get a new tank off to a good start. I am wondering how long that process will take. Thanks in advance for any information.

[RyanH]

I would allow 6-8 weeks for your sponge to seed.

[lauris]

wow that is a long time. i was under the impression that if i just ran the sponge in an empty tank and put in some ammonia every so often it would colonize in three weeks or so. it takes longer when it is in a tank with a colonized sponge filter?

[Mughal]

Pretty much every1 you ask here will give you an overkill estimate just to be safe. If you don't want to be 100%+ sure then you could do it sooner.

Between 6-8 weeks you would have crossover onto the sponge. Theoretically the second you drop it in there it will start getting colonized.

If the bacteria have lots of food, they will grow fast, very fast, 48 hours max to compensate and remove a reasonable amount of excess ammonia.

[Anonapersona]

OTOH, you could let the old sponge get dirty, then put the new sponge into a new tank and squeeze the old sponge letting the dirt drip into the new tank. Then run the new sponge in the new tank to absorb the dirt and bacteria on that dirt. Feed the new tank for a few days with ammonia and test to see when the sponge if mature.

I've done that in Q tank, putting the sponge and squeezings in with the new fish. That is not ideal, probably best to let the whole thing set and test a bit before adding fish. Adding the ammonia might give you the best result, given the chance to test to see when the sponge is able to handle some amount of ammonia in 24 hours.

[Alight]

These sorts of situations are why I like the Oxygen Plus sponge filters. These use a number of sponges to cover the bubble apparatus (2-4 or even more, depending on the size of the unit). With several sponges to choose from, you can always pull half of them to put in the new tank, and leave half in the old tank, or 1 and 4, or use whatever you will need for the bioload in the new tank. From experience, putting in one new sponge on a 4 sponge unit will not give you an ammonia or nitrite spike, even with a very high bioload in the tank. This is also very usefull when it comes time to change sponges. You can change out one at a time on a four sponge unit over a couple of weeks, and never have an ammonia or nitrite spike.http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3936&Ntt=sponge%20filters&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

The only problem is they're hard to find. Above is a link to one source for the filters and replacement sponges. The replacement sponge actually contains 4 sponges.

I use these sponges on the intakes of all of my HOB filters, as well both as prefilters, and to up the biological filter. They make cleaning the HOB filters a rare event, and you can use the sponges from an esblished filter to put on either a sponge filter unit, or on another HOB unit in a new tank, and have a cycled unit ready to go.

[ronrca]

Bacteria takes time due to multiplication and colonization. Bacteria responsible for ammonia multiply 6-12hours, bacteria for nitrite multiply 24+hours depending on environmental factors and food. It takes time for bacteria to 'settle' and start to multiple. Its not just a simple factor of adding ammonia to the tank. Bacteria are not 'smart' and know that the best place to multiply is in your filter. Bacteria will actually float around your tank and 'search' for an ideal place. When food and other environmental factors are met, they will settle.

You can actually mathematically figure it out as well and will find that 48hours is hardly enough time to have a fully functional sponge. Ammonia bacteria will only of doubled in size 4x and maybe the nitrite bacteria once. Hardly enough time to deal with a full bio load. Using an old sponge filter to help will shorten the time significantly however it is still limited to the multiplication constraints.

[Mughal]

Ron, if he says he will have a cycled sponge in there it means he's going to be starting with billions of bacteria anyhow. Even if less than 1/100th of a percent reach it into the new spong, it will be colonizedin less than 1 week. The K or doubling time for biospira is NOT as uneconomically lengthy as you think, the largest K on record for prokaryotic bacteria is around 7 hours for a certain species of cyanobacteria.

As for bacteria being 'non-smart' here is an excerpt from the Science magazine, arguably the premier and most prestigious Science based literature in the world:

"Bacteria have evolved a dazzling array of capabilities along with rapid growth. As a group, they utilize almost any chemical source to harness energy for growth and maintenance and have mastered photosynthesis as well. They assess their chemical and physical environment with great sensitivity. They move with purpose. They communicate with each other. They employ devilishly clever strategies for colonizing."

[AADiscus]

I would give it 3 weeks to fully cycle the sponge to go in your tank. Then I would start another sponge so that you always have an extra one on hand. ;)

[ronrca]

Ron, if he says he will have a cycled sponge in there it means he's going to be starting with billions of bacteria anyhow. Even if less than 1/100th of a percent reach it into the new spong, it will be colonizedin less than 1 week. The K or doubling time for biospira is NOT as uneconomically lengthy as you think, the largest K on record for prokaryotic bacteria is around 7 hours for a certain species of cyanobacteria.

That could very well be however for the nitrification cycle we are talking about Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter and Nitrospira bacteria not cyanos. While there may be more strains of bacteria, nitrosomonas, nitrobacter and nitrospira are the main bacteria responisble for the nitrogen cycle. The K given was for those bacteria. Even if 1/100th of the bacteria colonized on the new sponge, mathimatically it would take a week and a half to established a fully functional sponge of the same size as the old sponge and then it will even depend on what strain (N.somonas, N.bacter, N.spira) colonized and the numbers. Bacteria will not just float around for the fun of it and as mentioned, they dont know where the new sponge is thus takes time to find the best place to colonize. I really wish that that longest K would be 7 hours as cycling a new tank would only take a week. Squeezing the old sponge would be the best actually to get the bacteria floating however again, it takes time to establish a fully functional sponge.


"Bacteria have evolved a dazzling array of capabilities along with rapid growth. As a group, they utilize almost any chemical source to harness energy for growth and maintenance and have mastered photosynthesis as well. They assess their chemical and physical environment with great sensitivity. They move with purpose. They communicate with each other. They employ devilishly clever strategies for colonizing."
Sweet! I have read some of these points before. Bacteria are truly amazing which you know better than I. However, because they move with purpose doesnt mean that they know that there is a new sponge in the tank and therefore take flight 768 to the new sponge.

[Carol_Roberts]

I figure after 3 weeks a new sponge filter in an exiting healthy tank in seeded and ready to stand alone.

[lauris]

very interesting info. i really appreciate alright's suggestion regarding what i construe to be a 'stacked' sponge filter. i will try the three week period and see. i certainly am aware of the advisability of running extra sponge filters in bigger tanks and being able to swap out a new sponge filter with a seeded one in order to start a new tank. i am just trying to bring online on short notice four or five 10-galllon tanks to raise some betta fry and was inquiring in order to get some information regarding 'seeding' a smaller sponge filter to start them off. sounds like it is a good thing that my existing sponge filters are dirty, i can squeeze them out and hasten the maturation of my new sponge filters.