# how long does it take bacteria to transfer from seeded to new filter media?



## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

i've always wondered this. when can i take the seeded filter cartlidge out?*c/p* as in i just cycled my tank with seeded material when i put it in but when can i take it out to put in another aquarium?


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

As soon as the tank the material is in is finished the cycle.


----------



## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

yea i know, but i wanna use the seeded material i put in there for another tank but i just put it in there 2 days ago so i dont know if it will stayed cycled without it.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

If it has cycled, it has cycled. Doesn't sound like the tank it was in has cycled. Pulling it out or not wouldn't matter if it is finished. Have you tested to see if it has finished?


----------



## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

ok so the tank that i pulled it out of is cycled (it's mine so i know). the tank that wasnt became cycled the next time i tested.now i wanna out the cycled material for another tank to help it cycle, but i dont know if the bacteria totally transferred..


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Okay...if the media you are transferring is from an established tank that has completed a cycle and that media has been in there at least two weeks, then you can put it into another un-cycled tank to help it out. That alone will not cycle that tank, but it can speed it along. If you remove this material before the un-cycled tank has finished cycling (meaning it has completed the *nitrogen cycle*), then it will not do much help to the un-cycled tank. Once it has cycled...it won't matter if you pull it out or not...the tank is cycled and there is no worry that "it will stayed cycled without it" (your words). If you only put it in there just two days ago, then I am sure that tank is not cycled ....if it was, why put in the seeded material?

A cycle refers to the establishment of the nitogen cycle that takes ammonia created by fish to nitrates. It does not refer to letting a tank run for a certain period of time.


----------



## allaboutfish (May 18, 2011)

ok... is it better for 2 cockatoo apistos and 2 juli corys to be in an uncycled 29 gallon or uncycled 10 gallon


----------

