Holding Tank for bacteria

[beardedman11]

So, I've got this lil 3-4g nano tank that I threw in some filter media blocks and some crushed rocks in a shroom box from a breakdown. Question is do I need/have to do anything extra besides movement on the tank to keep everything beneficially? should I add some food and snail or something? Plan to have it going for about a month or 2 before i get the next build going.

 

[exnisstech]

Great idea. Was any of the media seeded or is it all new? If new I would add a piece of live rock as seed and maybe a small pinch of food. I suppose you might be able to seed it with bacteria and ammonia like you would cycling a new tank but I've not done that personally, I've always used some live media as seed. I keep a 40g and a brute in the basement full of live rock and all I have is flow. I never let a piece of live rock dry out
My Gal thinks I'm weird but if I need to get a tank running I can fill it and add livestock the next day. I have done this.

PS I'm not a fan of the blocks. When i had some in a sump they slowly crumbled and made a mess. I've also read that some ceramic media can leach aluminum IIRC but I'm not sure if its brand specific.

 

[Subsea]

Kudos to biofilter incubator. I would add a peiece of mature live rock and some snails. Does the tank get any light?

 

[beardedman11]

Great idea. Was any of the media seeded or is it all new? If new I would add a piece of live rock as seed and maybe a small pinch of food. I suppose you might be able to seed it with bacteria and ammonia like you would cycling a new tank but I've not done that personally, I've always used some live media as seed. I keep a 40g and a brute in the basement full of live rock and all I have is flow. I never let a piece of live rock dry out
My Gal thinks I'm weird but if I need to get a tank running I can fill it and add livestock the next day. I have done this.

PS I'm not a fan of the blocks. When i had some in a sump they slowly crumbled and made a mess. I've also read that some ceramic media can leach aluminum IIRC but I'm not sure if its brand specific.

This came from a frag tank I had running for about a year and half so the media blocks should all be seeded. I'm just not sure if i need to feed anything to keep the live rock "live" and be benefically.

 

[exnisstech]

I don't feed mine because I don't want to foul the water but i can't say that's the correct way but it has worked for me. Let's ask @Subsea, he has more experience with live rock.

 

[beardedman11]

Kudos to biofilter incubator. I would add a peiece of mature live rock and some snails. Does the tank get any light?

That's basically what it is now. lol
That basket has a bottom full of crushed up rocks in my shroom box. Going to put a baby jawbreaker in it later today to see how it does under a blue led. Tank hasn't gotten any direct light besides adding that blue led today.

 

[Dan_P]

So, I've got this lil 3-4g nano tank that I threw in some filter media blocks and some crushed rocks in a shroom box from a breakdown. Question is do I need/have to do anything extra besides movement on the tank to keep everything beneficially? should I add some food and snail or something? Plan to have it going for about a month or 2 before i get the next build going.

Hard to say what is going to happen to the bacteria overtime. If you don’t feed the bacteria, they will die or go dormant. If you feed the bacteria with something, it is unlikely to be the food they were primarily eating prior to tear down and the population is going to change.

If you dose ammonia, you will keep the nitrifyer population alive. What happens to the complex heterotrophic bacteria population is impossible to predict.

 

[jonelder68]

Just add waste water when doing WC from main tank. That will have all the nutrients needed to keep bacteria thriving.

 

[beardedman11]

Hard to say what is going to happen to the bacteria overtime. If you don’t feed the bacteria, they will die or go dormant. If you feed the bacteria with something, it is unlikely to be the food they were primarily eating prior to tear down and the population is going to change.

If you dose ammonia, you will keep the nitrifyer population alive. What happens to the complex heterotrophic bacteria population is impossible to predict.

I've got some janitoral ammonia i use to start the tank with i can add a drop of that to this tank to keep the cycle going.

Just add waste water when doing WC from main tank. That will have all the nutrients needed to keep bacteria thriving.

Could do that as well or just take some water from the main tank I've got running now and dump in a cup just to get some dirty water in there. lol

 

[Dan_P]

I've got some janitoral ammonia i use to start the tank with i can add a drop of that to this tank to keep the cycle going.


Could do that as well or just take some water from the main tank I've got running now and dump in a cup just to get some dirty water in there. lol

I assume the janitorial ammonia doesn’t contain detergent. Using food grade ammonium carbonate is much less risky.

 

[beardedman11]

I assume the janitorial ammonia doesn’t contain detergent. Using food grade ammonium carbonate is much less risky.

No doesn't contain any added stuff to it. I've started 5-6 tanks off with it and haven't had any issues.