Seeding a new filter

[mikan1089]

I just got a new filter and stuffed some material from my old filter into the new one. How long should I leave the old material in before I can take it out?

 

[smomus]

Until its falling apart no need to

 

[George9]

I just got a new filter and stuffed some material from my old filter into the new one. How long should I leave the old material in before I can take it out?

Don't take any media out. Leave it in until its falling apart. Is the new filter on the same tank as the old?

 

[mikan1089]

Ya It's on the old tank

 

[George9]

Ya It's on the old tank

Are both the new and old filter running.side by side? Or did you throw away the old filter? You should transfer all media from the old into the new. And yeah, don't change it at all, youll screw up your cycle. Just rinse it in old tank water when needed

 

[mikan1089]

Only the new filters on the tank. I stuffed some of the media from my old filter into my new aquaclear. I eventually want to take out the old media cause my bio rings are setting high out of the water cause there's to much media in the filter. So I want to seed the bio rings then take out the old media. But I don't know how long it takes

 

[RussellC]

Only the new filters on the tank. I stuffed some of the media from my old filter into my new aquaclear. I eventually want to take out the old media cause my bio rings are setting high out of the water cause there's to much media in the filter. So I want to seed the bio rings then take out the old media. But I don't know how long it takes

You could just remove the bio-rings that are setting high out of the water -- with the prolonged exposure to air, nitrifying bacteria won't colonize them anyway -- and just keep a mixture of new and old media going forward.

That said, if you still want to remove the old media, I'd begin gradually, perhaps a month after the last detection of any level of ammonia or nitrite, and then remove just a little at a time. Any detection of ammonia or nitrite, however, and I'd wait until about a month after the tank cycle has completely re-established itself before proceeding with removing any more of the media.