Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have a friend who is about to replace all his filter wool from his complex discus aquarium setup. Would it be ok to use this to help speed up the cycling process?

If so where would I put it. I am building a flood and drain with a drain tank. I was thinking of putting it in the drain tank and keeping it away from the pump. Or maybe I could place it under some gravel in the grow beds temporarily...

I would be putting it in at the time that I put fish in the tank.

Cheers
FJ

FJ,

Thats is the correct time to be putting it in. Get it from your mates place to your tank in good time, and don't let it get to hot or dry out.

Personally, i'd probably wash it out in your tank so the pump circulates all the muck evenly through your grow bed and seeds as much of the gravel as possible. then i'd put the filter wool about 50mm under the gravel and under a a fow of water. See if you can scam some water from him as well, he'll probably be doing a water change too.

But make sure that there is no disease anywhere in the discus tank ..

I have been using old worn out socks as filter media rather than the stuff they use to fill teddybears ...

and you siad...

...
LOL
I'd be worried about the socks ...
Ignore that, J7 has a point...

Hee Hee ..

Anyone ever heard of a barramundi with corns, bunions, atheletes foot or plantar warts ?

As far as my socks go ...

I wouldn't bet on an all clear!

On tuesday I tranfered about $ 500 worth of fancy tropical fish (all donated) to my school. I have been fostering these in wheelie bin tanks until my school got tansk and stuff ordered.

So many kind people donated plants, fish, filter systems, pumps and aquariums ... was amazing how kind these people are!


I had probs with filtration in my wheelie system until I found my old socks ... I got a retic in line filter thingo ... got rid of the strainer and put a sock in it ...

I took the sock to school to condition the tank ....

no deaths and a real nice speccy tanks with very nice looking fish ..

will post piccies as soon as I get my personal puter sorted ... all my special proggies reinstalled .. (Big probs!)

I am working on a hired thing now ... Doh!

I even have a video for you guys ... but PC probs are peeing me off! Doh!

BTW ..

Some women got a thing about my feet!

LMAO ...

soxrox!

Yep adding cycled filter media to an aquaponics setup could only help I'd think.
Yes I know it's an old post
Just wanted to add that that filter wool stuff... they sell it at spotlight called 'dacron' in huge bags for a few dollars. Better way to buy thats for sure.
I don't use the stuff prefer recylable sponges but ya if you do never replace it all at once.... leave some dirty old stuff behind to get the new bacteria culture cranking along