Pre Cycled Media

[ArizonaReefer]

I work for a fairly big company so the chance of a coworker having a Saltwater Tank might be high? If I’d do find someone and they were to take a some bio media balls from me how long would they have to keep them in their sump before I could then transfer to my tank to help with my initial cycle?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Imo, you would be better off getting this

https://tbsaltwater.com/shop/rubble-rox-5-pounds-rubble-rock/

 

[BeanAnimal]

3-4 days would suffice, depending on media, but a week or so would be better.

 

[ArizonaReefer]

Imo, you would be better off getting this

https://tbsaltwater.com/shop/rubble-rox-5-pounds-rubble-rock/

Thanks but, It’s a IM 40L that I’m getting so don’t really have a sump for the rubble. What room I have in the overflow area I plan on using the bio balls i’v already purchased.

 

[Dan_P]

I work for a fairly big company so the chance of a coworker having a Saltwater Tank might be high? If I’d do find someone and they were to take a some bio media balls from me how long would they have to keep them in their sump before I could then transfer to my tank to help with my initial cycle?

It takes weeks to establish a strong complex biofilm, but only hours to days for bacteria to start to colonize a surface. For establishing just a nitrifying biofilm, you will be able to test how the biofim is developing by placing one ball of medium in a 0.2 L of new saltwater (this is a rough guess of bioball to water) dosed with ammonium chloride to about 0.5 ppm ammonia and testing for ammonia every twenty for hours. A strong population will clear the ammonia in 24-48 hours. Maybe after a week in a someone’s sump you could test it.

The suggestion to use live rock or rubble is more straightforward though