seeding new filter with bb

[meviva]

I'm in the process of getting a 125 gal. half round tank. It should be delivered in the next 2-3 weeks. I will be using a fluval fx5 filter. I currently have a 10 gal. tank with a penguin 100 filter w/biowheel that has been set up since Christmas. I have never used a canister filter before and still need to do some research about how it works. What can I do to help seed the new filter when it's time? If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Aqualady40]

stuff the media from your ten in with the new

 

[phin]

Take whatever you have in the penguin reservior, filter pad, bag of media, whatever, and mix it in or lay it under your biomedia when you set your canister up.

Don't let the old media dry out during set up and be sure that no unconditioned/chlorinated water touches the old media.

You will cycled within a day.

 

[meviva]

Ok I will do that. Glad I will be able to do something to speed things up.

 

[GBHammbone]

With the media from your old filter you will technically be instantly cycled, but remember you will only have the filtering capability of that smaller filter for a little while until the BB can grow in your FX5 media. dont go adding your whole planned stock right away, you will get an ammo spike because your BB cannot process it fast enough.

 

[librarygirl]

Are you moving the fish from the 10 gal to the new tank or is this a second tank? If you're moving everything over, just move all the media from the 10 to the new filter; it'll help cycle it but it won't instantly cycle it for a full load of fish as the media in the 10 will only support the current load of fish in the 10 gal, but it will help.

If you're keeping the 10, add a small portion of the media from the 10 to the new filter; you don't want to remove too much or it'll throw the 10 gal into a mini-cycle (keep testing the 10 gal daily when you remove media in case there's a temporary toxin spike). Again it'll help seed it, but not fully cycle it for a full load of fish. From here you can either do a fishless cycle on the new tank, or do a fish in cycle starting with a couple of fish, depending on size.

 

[meviva]

Thanks GBHammbone...I will add fish slowly and monitor the conditions. I'm just glad that I will be able to have some fish in the tank.

Librarygirl....I will be keeping the 10 but moving the peppered cories from that tank to the 125. The Penguin 100 has a biowheel and a cartridge. I changed the cartridge 1 1/2 weeks ago. Should I change it again now so it's not completely dirty when I want to put it in the FX5 in a couple of weeks? I can't put a second cartridge in the Penguin 100 because there is no room but could I put a clean cartridge in and put the used one in the tank so the bacteria stays alive?

 

[Oceangirl]

You want it dirty! it may not make a difference because the cartiridge is so new. It can take 3 weeks to cycle a filter pad. You should have put your REALLY old dirty filter pad in the new filter. The dirty look is what you want! The dirtier the better. You may have to cycle from scratch. You should be able to have 2 cartirdges in the housing for Penguin. I had 2 in my little 150B, or you could stuff some plain old filer pad. Then keep that in the established tank and move the REALLY dirty stuff into the new filter. You shouldn't throw away old filter pads/cartridges till they are falling apart. If you can put the filter pad in the housing, rubber banding it to the intake, or the output will build it really quick.

 

[meviva]

Oceangirl...Ok I won't change the one in the 10 gal. now. By the time I get the new tank it will have been in the 10 for 3-4 weeks. I don't think I can put a second cartridge in the filter. I have the tank on my kitchen counter under the cabinets so it's hard to see in the filter to see if there is room. I will get some filler pad and stuff that it...I'm sure that's possible.

Thanks

 

[Oceangirl]

you could also just plop the filter on your intake with rubberbands in your tank, works too. Sometimes my passion comes on a little strong.