Replacing a filter sponge

[beastie]

It has been a while since i have done this so asking to confirm that i have this right.

Can I just plop a washed new sponge to the tank for like two weeks and expect it to become infested with the nitrification bacteria, or does it need aeration and thus would the sponge need to be set up on a secondary filter,  even if just a small air stone?

I need to upgrade my sponge and while i guess the tank would survive me just replacing a sponge and bathing it in the gunk from the other one, i have time to do this properly for once

[face]

Bacteria prefers to grow where there is an appropriate amount of flow food gets delivered to it that way but it will grow anywhere in an aquarium 

what do you mean by upgrading your sponge they can last forever lol

[Supermassive]

If you just put the sponge in the tank it will grow bacteria but not as much is if it was directly in the water flow. If you want to do it that way it should be fine after a couple weeks.

You can also squeeze the gunk from the old sponge into the new sponge. It seems pointless getting the brand new sponge dirty but it will collect all the debris after a short time and it will be loaded with bacteria from the start. That is what I would do.

Edited February 11 by Supermassive

[beastie]

On 2/11/2024 at 6:40 PM, face said:

what do you mean by upgrading your sponge they can last forever lol

Size wise, i am getting larger one to catch up with the waste production. I have too many rabbit snail babies in a too small tank 🙂 this should help 

[Galabar]

If you just put the new sponge in a tank with aeration, it make take a long time for it be cycled/seasoned.  You can rub sponge against the old sponge to help this along.  However, you'll definitely want the aeration.