Bringing him home for 11 days?

[agent89201]

SO I'm want to take Beau home for spring break because I feel weird leaving him in my dorm for 11 days. I know, I know, it's ok to leave him. I just don't know if I want to.

If I do bring him home, can I bring the cycled tank with him? I was planning on emptying the tank and leaving all the gravel and plastic plants in there and just taking it home. I'd put Beau in his travel cup. Is that ok?

[Bombalurina]

For 11 days, I'd definitely bring him home. Your plan sounds good. :) However, to make sure you maintain the cycle, I would leave a bit of dirty water in the bottom of the tank and put the filter media in that so that the good bacteria don't dry out and die off.

[Pogthefish]

or u can buy that bacteria in a cup stuff... either way.

[Bombalurina]

That's unreliable at best, Pog. I certainly wouldn't rely on it to maintain a cycle. Keeping filter media submerged in the dirty water is a much surer methiod. :) You can use the bacteria-in-a-bottle as well, if you want, but I wouldn't rely on it alone.

[Pogthefish]

Originally Posted by Bombalurina

That's unreliable at best, Pog. I certainly wouldn't rely on it to maintain a cycle. Keeping filter media submerged in the dirty water is a much surer methiod. :) You can use the bacteria-in-a-bottle as well, if you want, but I wouldn't rely on it alone.

well if you buy it fresh theres always some bacteria in there, but its usually not worth the price... Doesn't the bacteria also grow on tank stuff? i mean.. How do we KNOW its in the filter?

[Bombalurina]

Because without a filter, ammonia in the tank is not converted into nitrate. That's what the good bacteria does. It does grow on the rest of the tank but not to nearly the same extent that it does in the filter, which is why a tank without a filter won't cycle.

You can acheive the same effect with massive amounts of live plants in a Natural Planted Tank (see OldFishLady's tanks) but it's a different process.

[Pogthefish]

ok ^_^