Keeping QT Tanks Bacteria alive!!

[FrozenFins]

I was wondering if I would place my spongefilter in a rubbermaid and not have it turned on, would all the bacteria remain alive??

[Cory]

Bacteria can stay alive if there is a food source for it. 

[Joe O]

Is it true you can put your sponge filter in a ziplock bag and freeze it? I'd seen it mentioned somewhere but never tried it. Supposedly you can put the frozen sponge into the tank and when it thaws (in the water) the bacteria will (mostly ) survive?

[Bill]

1 hour ago, Joe O said:

Is it true you can put your sponge filter in a ziplock bag and freeze it? I'd seen it mentioned somewhere but never tried it. Supposedly you can put the frozen sponge into the tank and when it thaws (in the water) the bacteria will (mostly ) survive?

I really don't know, but offhand I wouldn't trust that unless I read it in a scientific paper. I have read that it can survive relatively long periods of time, weeks to months, without a food source as long as it's has moving water an oxygen, like in your running quarantine tank. And you can always sprinkle some fish food in every few days.