MATURE Active/Cycled/Seeded Sponge Filter -Aquatop 60g- FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING!

Description

These filters are fully "cycled", containing all the many species of nitrifying bacteria a fully established aquarium needs. Once put into a tank, the tank becomes instantly cycled. "Cycled" aquariums can still get ammonia or nitrite readings from a test kit. Cycled means you have the proper number of nitrifying bacteria species and the proper proportion of them. However, the population may not be high enough to handle all the waste produced by your animals. Assuming you have enough filtration for your bio-load, and the water conditions are good for bacteria growth, the bacteria will double in population approximately every 24 hrs in until it reaches the level where it can handle the waste in your tank. That can take anywhere from minutes to days, depending on the bio-load in your tank. Do not use ammonia neutralizers, only chlorine removers unless you have chloramines.  It's best to not do water changes for the first week unless you see the fish struggling at the surface for oxygen.
All of my tanks contain snails
, so these filters may have small snails and/or their eggs on them. The filters also have other small micro-life typically found in many aquariums.  There are paramecium and rotifers, There might even be flatworms or bristleworms. These are NOT parasites, but small aquatic animals that clean up extra food and fish waste. The filters also contain the decomposed waste generated by the plants and animals in my tanks. They will be "dirty". This is not harmful and is what happens in biological filters. The nitrifying bacteria are short-lived and create a large amount of bio-floc as it dies off.  All of this is normal, but if you are offended by this, please do not order. Filters that are too clean, can be a reason for
having a difficult time establishing a bio-filter since cleaning a filter too much harms the bacteria.
The bacteria survive shipping quite well, but faster is better when deciding on the shipping method during checkout.  If the filter freezes, the bacteria may be killed so pay attention to the weather, here and where you are.  Try to avoid having the package sitting outside after delivery.  It can be risky to order when night-time temps are much below 0 F. .  Heat does not bother the bacteria.  In transit, the bacteria go into a dormant state and reactivates in the presence of ammonia and nitrites.  A percentage of them will survive for quite a long time out of an aquarium, so even with delays and bad weather, they persist and will often still work, though a bit slower as they recover.
There are likely hundreds of species of nitrifying bacteria in a tank that has been "established" for over a year. This is why those commercial "starter" products with a few species, don't work very well.
This filter has been
running in a mature, heavily stocked 125 gallon tank since September 29, 2020! It will EASILY outperform any bottled product on the market!
When you receive these, make sure to add any water in the bag to the tank. Do not worry about it being dirty. It is full of nitrifying bacteria and you do not want to throw this out or siphon it out with a water change until the aquarium is fully established.
Attached photos show media that is double stacked. Buyers receive media from bottom layers.
I retain the upper layers to prevent cycle crashes.