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  • Results 1 to 13 of 13

    Thread: How can you store aged filter pad/spon?

    1. #1
      Raven2014 is offline Senior Member
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      How can you store aged filter pad/spon?

      Hi,

      First I'm sorry if this turns out to be a really silly question and I misunderstood what it meant. I read around a few forums and I heard people mention about storing aged sponge or filter pad to help with setting up new tank or replace. So does it means what I think it means? I usually just dry my filter pad after switching them out and store them in a plastic bag.

      The reason I'm asking this is I want to have something ready in case I need to jump start a medical tank, or something happens and my main tanks crash.

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    2. #2
      jimfish98's Avatar
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      Is the sponge your mechanical and bio filtration? I let my sponges just dry as I use them as mechanical only on my QT. I have a shower filter on the pond that I throw a mesh bag of bio balls into about two months before the local show where I purchase new Koi. A couple days before the show, the bio balls come out and go into a pressure filter I have for the QT.



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    3. #3
      KoiAteMyHeron's Avatar
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      How can you store aged filter pad/spon?

      When I pull my Matala mats for winter and they dry out do they get a quicker jump start in the spring vs. brand new mats? If yes, is it a significant difference? Always wondered, thanks!

    4. #4
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      I tried to store my pads from the wakin pond for a couple days in a container with water while I treated. THEY STUNK. Had to flush them. They would need a big area and aeration.

    5. #5
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      I have no clue, but couldn't you just store them in an active tank? Lean them against a side wall or weight them down to the bottom?

      carl
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    6. #6
      Aquajoe is offline Senior Member
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      Squeeze it out using pond water. Put it in a mesh bag and drop in pond.

    7. #7
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      It would be my thought that the mats, if not stored in a position where they would have flowing water would tend to have the bio bacteria population die back, at least some as there would be minimal flow of the ammonia and nitrite through them just laying in the pond. They wouldn't die, but would be seriously crippled. If they could be stored in a waterfall box where the water flowed upward through them, they would do much better. If they were stored in the heavy box skimmers the same benefit. For QT I use bead filters and sub pumps and can put the filter at the edge of the pond and have it working as supplemental filtration until needed for the QT.
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    8. #8
      BWG is offline Senior Member
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      Does a portion of the dried bacteria go dormant and once conditions are ripe spring into action?

    9. #9
      Raven2014 is offline Senior Member
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      Thanks everyone for your response. I was hoping there are some technique to store them dried but what you said make sense. (And I don't think tossing them into the fridge is an option for me :P)

      Quote Originally Posted by jimfish98 View Post
      Is the sponge your mechanical and bio filtration? I let my sponges just dry as I use them as mechanical only on my QT.
      It's the Marineland riter cartridge so I assume it's both. My Clichid tank has an older model penguin HOB filter that doesn't have bio-wheel, all it has is 2 of these catridge and it has been keeping the water clean for the past 3 months or so. I just recently re-enforced all of my tank with Matrix though. This is more like for an emergency use if I need to jump start another tank or my filter crashes for whatever reason.


      Quote Originally Posted by RichToyBox View Post
      It would be my thought that the mats, if not stored in a position where they would have flowing water would tend to have the bio bacteria population die back, at least some as there would be minimal flow of the ammonia and nitrite through them just laying in the pond. They wouldn't die, but would be seriously crippled. If they could be stored in a waterfall box where the water flowed upward through them, they would do much better. If they were stored in the heavy box skimmers the same benefit. For QT I use bead filters and sub pumps and can put the filter at the edge of the pond and have it working as supplemental filtration until needed for the QT.
      Right now I'm keeping my not-in-used filter pads in my medical tank along with some substrate and a few rocks. I filled it up with water but it has no filter or airstone running, and I feed it fish food once a week. So far it seems it cycling slowly, no ammonia, some nitrite and a bit of Nitrate. Like you said it definitely won't be full strength filter, but if it serves as a jump start it's good enough. (At least better than the store bought bacteria I hope). Not sure how the thing will turn out in long run with no aeration. My main concern with this is since I'm not changing the water in this tank (unless when I clean it out to use it for treating fish), I can imagine the water can get pretty nasty in there over a long period of time and some harmful pathogen can develop and infect my other tanks when I switch the filter, although I heard the chance of that happens can be low since the tank doesn't have any fish for a long time.

      The reason I'm asking is because I'm weighting between keeping the filter in the med-tank like I'm doing or just dry them out and put them away.
      Last edited by Raven2014; 08-14-2014 at 02:55 AM.

    10. #10
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      I would remove and store. Without aeration and water changes and with the continued addition of new waste the oxygen levels in that talk are going to drop down to the point where anaerobic bacteria take over and it will start to stink. The jump start you are hoping for from a pre-colonized filter is unlikely to be much at that point as beneficial pond bacteria need oxygenated water. Even with aeration, imo the jump start probably isn't worth the additional work of maintaining a separate space unless you are anticipating problems down the line. Plus once cold weather comes for you, all of that work will be knocked right back down.

      Stacy

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    11. #11
      BWG is offline Senior Member
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      All of us have seen the plethora of dried bacteria products and dry pre-seeded K1, BIO balls and other media. I wonder if this actually helps jump start a system or is it just marketing hype? At the end of the season is it possible to gently rinse off the media with non-chlorinated water, dry and then store in a place that will not freeze? Or just a waste or time for jump starting a system in spring?
      Last edited by BWG; 08-14-2014 at 09:22 AM.

    12. #12
      Sweetwater is offline Supporting Member
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      Interesting conversation regarding reactivating bio films. I found this PDF on the subject. I just skimmed it but it seems bio films can be reactivated in much less time than it takes to grow one from start up.

      http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...72938740,d.aWw

    13. #13
      koi4u2c is offline Senior Member
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      I have had success with small filters with pads or foam that were left in a pond with fish but not running, When needed for a small tank or QT I just pull them out rinse slightly and they were immediately active working filters for me. I also sometimes keep a few foam pads or mats in larger running filter just in the water flow. When placed back into my smaller filters they are also ready and active.
      Nancy



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