Cycle question.

[Trier20]

Ok so I'm doing a metro treatment in one of my tanks so I moved the filter to a tank that I'm cycling right now to keep the bb colony strong. Would I be able to moved the filter back before the tank is fully cycled? It seems that I should be able to.

[DiscusDrew]

It should fully cycle by the time your done with metro treatment plus a few days. I've never had an issue with metro and my BB though.... Squeezing out the media in the tank should speed it up cycling as long as your feeding ammonia.

[DiscusDrew]

I prefer to do clean cycles btw... I mean if your treating the tank its from that's definitely not a tank I'd take media from as a general rule. I mean flagellates can't live without a host so if that's your only problem then no biggy... I mean just as a general principle a clean start has always done me right.

[Trier20]

Thanks for the response Drew. I was mostly asking if it would be fine to move the old filter back to the tank that was recently treated. It's an hob filter that has carbon in it so it would remove the rest of the metro. This is my first treatment so I really don't have much of a clue of what I'm doing! Lol send a pm if you have any of advice for this Drew. Thanks!

[jimg]

If I treat a tank I treat with the filters otherwise I do a fishless cycle, unless I'm treating bacterial or some easy kill protists or similar. many eggs/cysts are in the filters. although some die off with no host, the eggs/cysts can go dormant until conditions are right.

[Trier20]

I moved the filter bc it was a HOB that contained carbon media. Soni moved it to a 90 I am cycling. The ammonia is still HIGH in that tank. If I move it I'm guessing it will move those high ammonia levels to the tank it gets moved to correct. I hope that is worded better.

[DiscusDrew]

No, the ammonia levels have no bearing on what the state of the BB is in the filter necessarily if your taking it from a cycling tank. It certainly isnt going to transfer a significant amount of ammonia with it, especially if you make sure to empty all the water out and squeeze out the media. The ammonia should be in the water column, by default its obviously going to have some ammonia with it (theres ammonia in the water) but theres not a storage of ammonia in the filter or anything unless im gravely mistaken. Did I understand your question right?

[Trier20]

Yes you did. Thanks again sir! Filter will be moved back tomorrow.

[Keith Perkins]

Just curious, and off topic I know, but why are you using carbon?

[Trier20]

It's a marineland filter and haven't made time to cut out the carbon

[DiscusDrew]

Screw the pads! They are ridiculous expensive, just shove the thing full of media pads, that's what I do, much more potential for BB to grow when its done that way. Just a recommendation and then you get away from carbon which I find to be mostly useless at best. I don't even usually use it to pull medication anymore.

[Trier20]

It's a marineland filter and haven't made time to cut out the carbon out of it

[Trier20]

Lol screw it then! I'll take an insert out and shove it with a bonded pad! Wait for it ro catch up and remove the next one. Thanks again drew

[DiscusDrew]

NP my friend, I use three pieces of basic but tough media on each half (prefilter on the intake as well) and rotate through replacing one every 3-6 months depending on what I feel like doing haha, then just move the other two old pads backward and put the new pad up front (last filter hit with water) that way you have continuous rotating colony of BB. Not to mention if the tank is in good shape and disease free then you can always have BB media ready for any new tanks. Just take out the oldest filter pads, one from each side, and put them as the first pad hit by water on the new tank. Works like a champ.... If only I could figure out a way to do this with sponge filters I'd be set...

[Orange Crush]

I use the AquaClear foam inserts in my canister and HOB filters but I never replace them unless they are falling apart. I just take turns cleaning them.
Sponge filters you can stack or keep more in tank than needed and just replace the sponge when it is falling apart.

[DiscusDrew]

The reason I still slowly but surely rotate through media is essentially due to the fact that BB has a lifespan just like any other living organism, they die and replenish, at a certain point the media can become awfully clogged with BB die off and the effect on the nitrogen cycle can cause Ph fluctuation potentially. I just prefer it this way, its a personal prefference to an extent but my OCD leans me in this direction and I will note that I never have a cycle crash in my tanks, no mini cycles, none of that. Im also ridiculously tedious and obsessive about things like this though.... Im more than willing to admit that.