H.O.B. to canister

[RyanBenson]

Hey guys! I haven't posted in a while and I had a question! So if my 55 is already established, would I have to cycle it again when I get a canister filter on it?? I just recently had a gold gourami and a rainbow shark get sucked to the water intake on my H.O.B. filter and they both died! I've always wanted a canister filter and finally found an excuse to get one! If someone could please explain how to switch from filter to filter I would greatly appreciate it!

 

[aquandrew]

run them both at the same time for 4 weeks to let the BB grow in the new filter. then squeeze the old filter media into the tank and remove the old filter

 

[shellieca]

Here's what I did on my 46g, I took the filter cartridge from my HOB cut it open & dumped out all the carbon, then I put the material into my canister filter. I also rinsed all the media in the new canister filter in USED tank water. I tested daily for a week & I think I had one day possibly two where anything showed slightly off.

 

[Mebbid]

Yep, just sticking the old filter pad in the canister is the best option.

 

[RyanBenson]

run them both at the same time for 4 weeks to let the BB grow in the new filter. then squeeze the old filter media into the tank and remove the old filter

Here's what I did on my 46g, I took the filter cartridge from my HOB cut it open & dumped out all the carbon, then I put the material into my canister filter. I also rinsed all the media in the new canister filter in USED tank water. I tested daily for a week & I think I had one day possibly two where anything showed slightly off.

Yep, just sticking the old filter pad in the canister is the best option.

Thanks guys!! I'm about to head out to buy one for my 55 and my 20! Thanks again!!

 

[RyanBenson]

One more question for everyone! If my 20 gallon has the columnaris disease in it, and I have yet to hook up my canister filter to it, can I set it up, let it sit for 4 weeks to get the BB grown on the bio balls in the canister filter, then treat my water and change the filters in the canister filter?? Would it be the same as changing the filter in an HOB filter minus the beneficial bacteria loss??? I have 1 gold gourami and 3 neon tetras, and a peacock eel... I know the mix isn't suggested and I'm probably over stocked but everything seems to be fine so far. I lost a Dalmatian Molly and a sunburst platy to columnaris but it took a good 2 months for it to get to those fish. I figured I can get all of what I just explained done in time to keep my current fish from getting it!

 

[Mebbid]

So you are wanting to run the canister on the tank with the columnaris, treat the columnaris, and then replace all of the filter media?

If that's the plan, I don't see a reason to replace the filter media since it will be clear of columnaris from the treatment.

 

[RyanBenson]

So you are wanting to run the canister on the tank with the columnaris, treat the columnaris, and then replace all of the filter media?

If that's the plan, I don't see a reason to replace the filter media since it will be clear of columnaris from the treatment.

Well, on the box, the instructions are to replace the old filters with new, then treat the water, than after you've done 4 cycles of the treatment replace the filters again!

 

[CalebZachary]

I'd run them for 8 weeks together