FW planted tank - Filter sock vs. Bacteria

[EverythingAquatics]

Hi all! So I have a fresh water planted tank (2 weeks old) and I’ve been very confused on some conflicting information on the internet. My tank is a UNS 16 gallon AIO…using Seachem Tidal Matrix in pouch and two bio blocks that came with the tank, and some Marineland bio balls. I chose to use a filter sock instead of the foam that came with the tank. My question is why do some say to remove the filter sock during cycling when using beneficial bacteria? I’ve never heard of this before. Is this true? Best recommendations for bacteria dosing? Any advice or opinions would be great! Thank you!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don’t have any expertise in fw planted tanks, but my expectation is simply that bacteria being added may clump together for a while and you do not want to remove them before they find a home.

 

[CoralNewb]

I've had planted tanks and fw tanks for quite a while now. The reason for removing your filter sock is to minimize using filter media that is replaced as a substrate material for beneficial bacteria. Since your sock will likely quickly clog up with detritus, and need to be washed and eventually replaced, a large portion of your bacterial colony will be lost, at least that's the thought...Sponges are far preferable because when they clog, you can unclog them by squeezing them out during a water change, and putting them back in the filter. Essentially a filter you never have to replace.

IMO, as long as you heavily plant the aquarium from the outset, you don't really need to cycle the tank. Many plants are capable of utilizing ammonia in the raw form. I usually add a light stock into the tank on day one. Also, in my experience, the foam media is far preferable to a sock or other fine filters - it doesn't clog often, adds another surface for beneficial bacteria, and doesn't need to be replaced often. My understanding of filter socks for saltwater is that you want to quickly remove detritus before they have a chance of rotting and spiking nitrates. That's not as big a problem in FW planted tanks, assuming they are planted heavily. If you are using a filter sock, I would also recommend making sure your filter isn't doing too much aeration - you want to keep as much dissolved CO2 in the water stream, and any turbulence effectively scrubs this from the water. This is why almost no one uses a sump, and people prefer canister filters in the FW planted world.