Where do the beneficial bacteria reside?

borracho

Medium Fish
Aug 1, 2009
71
0
0
#1
I'm wondering where most of the good bacteria live in the fish tank. When you change water or filter cartridges, does this reduce the amount bacteria needed to process harmful compounds?
 

bmoraski

Large Fish
Mar 9, 2009
604
2
18
Upstate NY
#2
I'm wondering where most of the good bacteria live in the fish tank. When you change water or filter cartridges, does this reduce the amount bacteria needed to process harmful compounds?
Your filter, but it is also on your glass, gravel, decorations. if you swap out filters ( which you only need to swish around in dechlorinated water NOT TAP WATER ) you will get rid of a lot of good bacteria.
 

borracho

Medium Fish
Aug 1, 2009
71
0
0
#3
Your filter, but it is also on your glass, gravel, decorations. if you swap out filters ( which you only need to swish around in dechlorinated water NOT TAP WATER ) you will get rid of a lot of good bacteria.
So, you're referring to the filter itself, not the filter cartridge that I need to change every few weeks?
 

bmoraski

Large Fish
Mar 9, 2009
604
2
18
Upstate NY
#4
i should have said my experience is with a Hang On Back filter.
im not familiar with canister setups ( if thats what you have ).
sorry for my uniformed rush to help.
 

epond83

Large Fish
Mar 11, 2007
483
0
0
#5
What kind of HOB? Ideally there is a sponge that acts as mechanical filtration that you can rinse, then some sort of porous materail such as ceramics. In a well esablished tank a lot of bacterial will also live in the gravel. So if you have a catrige type that has to change out the contents of the whole HOB every once in a while don't distube the gravel much durring that period. Also if you do this an ammoina and nitrite check a couple times afterwards would be good to make sure you aren't throwing things off.
 

borracho

Medium Fish
Aug 1, 2009
71
0
0
#6
Hm, so I should be careful and do some tests for harmful compound if I change the filter (HOB) for whatever reason, huh? The filter I use right now is a hang-on-back filter that takes in a filter cartridge. It did come with another removable piece inside that was not part of the filter cartridge package. It's hard to explain, but it looks like a loose (or not dense) scrub that goes in front of the cartridge..
 

jingles

Medium Fish
Jan 28, 2009
76
0
0
Auburn, AL
#7
The piece your talking about houses some bacteria too. Most filters(HOB) have something called a bio-wheel or something of that nature where a lot of the bacteria collect. If your changing the filter cartridge in a HOB you're not really removing that much bacteria, or not enough to put you into a mini-cycle IMO. The bacteria live everywhere in your tank so you plants, ornaments, gravel, random pieces in your filter (like your removable one). Now if you change your HOB unit out with another one then you should be careful.
 

borracho

Medium Fish
Aug 1, 2009
71
0
0
#8
The piece your talking about houses some bacteria too. Most filters(HOB) have something called a bio-wheel or something of that nature where a lot of the bacteria collect. If your changing the filter cartridge in a HOB you're not really removing that much bacteria, or not enough to put you into a mini-cycle IMO. The bacteria live everywhere in your tank so you plants, ornaments, gravel, random pieces in your filter (like your removable one). Now if you change your HOB unit out with another one then you should be careful.
I think my cheap 10g filter has no bio-wheel, but it's good to know that I should be careful when replacing the entire filter unit for whatever reason (broken, for example).

At first, I thought keeping fish was the easiest thing, but it's actually quiet challenging in terms of commitment and, in turn, fun! I hope at the end of the cycle, my new fish will be happy in there! I already wish I had more space or a house so I can have at least a 30g aquarium as opposed to the 10g one I have on the kitchen counter in my little apartment, haha.
 

nikcasper

Medium Fish
Aug 14, 2009
71
0
0
#9
you can also buy a item called bio-balls they float on the top of the aquarium and that stores the good bacteria too. And if you have a filter with a bio-wheel you should never have to change the wheel unless it breaks because god struck it with lightning.
 

Feb 27, 2018
2
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1
#10
I doubt I'll be helpful to person who post this originally but maybe it'll help anyone who reads this from this point forward. If using HOB filters well there's no such thing as too much filtration so get two and double the filteration needs of the aquarium. When you do change the filter media you can alternate the filter system each change out leaving one of them bacteria loaded.