How long will substrate hold BB if kept wet?

[shift]

I swapped out my substrate 2 days ago and have all my old stuff in a bucket with water. Will the rocks still be full of BB or will it dies off sitting in a stagnant bucket? How long would it keep for in the bucket home?

[somewhatshocked]

Without flow and a food source, beneficial bacteria will die off a little bit each day.

But you should still have plenty in your substrate if you reuse it within 3-4 days and it's kept wet with a stable temperature.

[shift]

thanks, i'm not quite sure where i'm going to use it yet.. maybe ill add in a few drops of ammonia to keep it going