ETA survial of a cycled tank without fish?

[Gogi]

Hello everyone,

I have a 10 gallon bare bottome setup that is housing a dwarf gourami. Im running a sponge filter and an intrnal fluval nano filter. Both are are aged filters.

This Wednesday I will be taking the dwarf gourami to my monthly fish club meeting where he will go to his new home with a fellow aquarist.

My question is how long will the BB in the filters survive without fish in the tank?

I dont not want to move the internal filter because it makes a lot of noise if it is moved and it is a major PITA to get all the air out of it so it stops making noise. I also do not want to move fish to avoid any stress on them, but am willing to do so if it is necessary for bb.

The meeting i about 3 hours long will bb die off in that time? I also will bring fish back home for this tank.

Also i will be doing my weekly water change today if that makes any difference.

[genocidex]

3 hrs isnt much time for the bb to die off. if the tank is going to be empty for more than 12+ hrs then dosing ammonia would be the thing to keep the bb alive. just like a fishless cycle type thing. only if you have no fish in there tho

[Hardy85]

I think it'd be fine for a few days, and you could always toss a piece of raw shrimp or something in there (do it in a mesh bag), it will rot and create ammonia for the BB

[pckroeger]

I have read from various sources anywhere from 12 hours to several weeks of survival of BB without fish. I have left a cycling tank with no ammonia in it for 12 hours before redosing, and experienced no observable loss of BB. I would say you will be more than fine with only a 3 hour period of no fish :)

[Gogi]

Thanks guys. I am always impressed with this forum and the quick responses. Now thats one thing I can scratch off my "stress" list lol.

[Hardy85]

BTW Gogi, look at what I have :)



Turns out they all found a safe place to hide on one piece of driftwood in my 55, and so I grabbed about 10 of them and got them there own 10 gallon tank. this lady is in the new tank.

No pics of tank tho since I am waiting for it to develop as a future ToTM and don't want to spoil the surprise.

[Gogi]

Awesome Hardy85 I cant wait to see your 10 gallon. I love setting up nanos. I wish my gf lift the tank ban place in my apartment. Little does she know I am planning a 5 gallon desktop for my office at work ; )

[FreakyFishie]

Why does your gf get to say what goes into your apartment? What could be the reason to not allow a fish tank? Wouldn't be better to not have your hobby in secrecy? lol

[Hardy85]

i got the same restrictions lol, got lucky enough to be allowed to buy a 10g QT (with the understanding it will mostly be empty lol.

Twisted her arm on the shrimp tank lol.