Please help! question about marine life in my filter pad.

One fish · 12/05/2014, 02:39 AM

hey guys. hopefully someone is online that can help me right now. Inside my CPR skimmer i have a filter pad to help capture some of the debris that flows through, and it has tons on little bugs that i think are good for my tank. BUT i want to take it out and put it in my new tank to help the cycle. Will they grow back in my main tank? i feel like i need to keep them in there to help with the habitat i have because it has perfect perimeters and it is very healthy. Can i remove it?
Thanks so much!!!!

julie180 · 12/05/2014, 06:08 AM

Sounds like pods. Just pluck as many off as you can and put them back into the tank. I assume you will be replacing the filter pad so they will reestablish.

billdogg · 12/05/2014, 02:07 PM

I always cleaned off as many as many as I could and then dropped them into the tank. The fish always thought it was yummy snack day.

Dan_P · 12/05/2014, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by One fish

hey guys. hopefully someone is online that can help me right now. Inside my CPR skimmer i have a filter pad to help capture some of the debris that flows through, and it has tons on little bugs that i think are good for my tank. BUT i want to take it out and put it in my new tank to help the cycle. Will they grow back in my main tank? i feel like i need to keep them in there to help with the habitat i have because it has perfect perimeters and it is very healthy. Can i remove it?
Thanks so much!!!!

The organisms growing in the filter pad are there because it is an ecosystem based on bacterial growth. When you add this pad to the new system with its nutrient poor water, the filter pad ecosystem will likely decline because the bacteria will not have much to feed on. It does seem like a means of introducing microscopic live stock, though they may die or go dormant for lack of food.

As for growing back in the old tank, yes, the habitat will reemerge on a new filter pad, but it will takes months. If that is to long, thorough rinse the old filter media in the new tank and return the pad to the old tank.

12/05/2014, 02:39 AM	#1
One fish Registered Member. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Springfield Va Posts: 297	Please help! question about marine life in my filter pad. hey guys. hopefully someone is online that can help me right now. Inside my CPR skimmer i have a filter pad to help capture some of the debris that flows through, and it has tons on little bugs that i think are good for my tank. BUT i want to take it out and put it in my new tank to help the cycle. Will they grow back in my main tank? i feel like i need to keep them in there to help with the habitat i have because it has perfect perimeters and it is very healthy. Can i remove it? Thanks so much!!!!

12/05/2014, 02:07 PM	#3
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I always cleaned off as many as many as I could and then dropped them into the tank. The fish always thought it was yummy snack day. __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

12/05/2014, 06:08 AM	#2
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	Sounds like pods. Just pluck as many off as you can and put them back into the tank. I assume you will be replacing the filter pad so they will reestablish.