Building Up Bacteria in a New Filter

[Tcal01]

I just bought a fluval c2 and i put it on my 20g along with my marinrland penguin biowheel 100. What IM wondering though is how long it should take for enough bb to build up in the fluval so i can take the penguin off and put it on another tank

 

[Pton46]

2 weeks to a month? to be sure....with Lots of Oxygen and as much heat your stock can take safely.

Key is to get the canister well used.

 

[Tcal01]

2 weeks to a month? to be sure....with Lots of Oxygen and as much heat your stock can take safely.

Key is to get the canister well used.

What do u mean by canister? It is a HOB

 

[Tcal01]

Any other opinions?

 

[jetajockey]

I'd cram the filter media from the old one into the new one if you can and then roll with it. Even then it might take a few days to get adjusted, just keep an eye on water params.

Otherwise i'd wait a few weeks.

 

[Tcal01]

I'd cram the filter media from the old one into the new one if you can and then roll with it.

Otherwise i'd wait a few weeks.

I want to use the other one though for another tank. So would it be safe to say that i should let it run on the tank for at least a month before i take the established filter off?

 

[jetajockey]

Or maybe split the established filter media up between the two. It's hard to say because there's some conjecture on how bacteria work as far as establishing themselves. I would assume that they congregate and multiply in the areas with the highest amount of oxygen and food, so they'd likely favor one filter over the other unless they are both equal in performance. Eventually both would have a substantial amount of bacteria in them.

The other thing is would the bacteria go motile and move to the new filter and abandon the old one, I don't think they would. But I do believe that in time the newer faster filter would establish a colony of its own while the one in the old filter decreases.

Just some jumbled thoughts on the subject lol.

 

[Tcal01]

Or maybe split the established filter media up between the two. It's hard to say because there's some conjecture on how bacteria work as far as establishing themselves. I would assume that they congregate and multiply in the areas with the highest amount of oxygen and food, so they'd likely favor one filter over the other unless they are both equal in performance. Eventually both would have a substantial amount of bacteria in them.

The other thing is would the bacteria go motile and move to the new filter and abandon the old one, I don't think they would. But I do believe that in time the newer faster filter would establish a colony of its own while the one in the old filter decreases.

Just some jumbled thoughts on the
subject lol.

The media in the old one is just a filter pad sso IM no sure how i would split that lol.

Wait so why more bacteria just grow in the new filter and the ones in the old filter stay the same?

 

[jetajockey]

It's just a thought, not something I've tested. I just don't see the bacteria colony unanchoring itself and moving over to the new filter just because it was put on. These bacteria have proven to be motile in certain circumstances but they don't perform some sort of mass exodus that I have seen.

Eventually, though, a bacteria colony would be built on the better flowing filter and this would reduce the available food to the colony on the old filter, thus reducing it's size. I'd think that it'd be a gradual process.

 

[Pton46]

What do u mean by canister? It is a HOB

C2? oh right for some reason I was thinking FX4....

Your best bet, Which I have done is (Now I have Marineland with Biowheels exclusively for this reason)

Split the Media, meaning I'll get a new Filter and Swap the new Biowheels with the ones on a Existing Filter. I also Use Seachem Stability in my tanks. Some people don't like stability or don't think it works but I can cycle a tank in 2 weeks....To the point It is Stable enough I'm only doing weekly water changes after a month the levels are that stable.

So if I am correct C2 is the same set up (sponge, media, more media) like the Aquaclears? Swap the sponges....Your Existing filter will have BB in it ,on it etc.

The Sponge also has it. Don't add any additional Fish during this time and run with plenty of Air and heat enough that keeps your stock safe. Test 2x daliy. PWC (small ones 20%) evey other or Three days.

Jeta jockey gave you the best advice...keep an eye on it..

 

[Pton46]

The media in the old one is just a filter pad sso IM no sure how i would split that lol.

Wait so why more bacteria just grow in the new filter and the ones in the old filter stay the same?

well, yes and No, Bacteria will grow on any Surface in your tank with enough food (Ammonia.Nitrite) avail.....Conditions need to be avail as well. It will basically grow to the amount of space and food avail. Pretty much like any organism.

 

[Tcal01]

What IM mainly wondering now is if i just let the two filters run on the tank, no swapping media or anything, how long will it take for an amount of bb that could sustain a tank to grow in the new filter? A month?

 

[jcolon]

What IM mainly wondering now is if i just let the two filters run on the tank, no swapping media or anything, how long will it take for an amount of bb that could sustain a tank to grow in the new filter? A month?

Without directly seeding, give it a month. There is some BB in the water, though not much so give them time to establish the new filter and multiply.
If you stick media from the established filter, I've heard of seeding taking as little as two weeks.
Keep in mind that BB grows in response to the bio load, so you may not establish very much in the newer filter.

 

[Pton46]

Without directly seeding, give it a month. There is some BB in the water, though not much so give them time to establish the new filter and multiply.
If you stick media from the established filter, I've heard of seeding taking as little as two weeks.
Keep in mind that BB grows in response to the bio load, so you may not establish very much in the newer filter.

 

[Tcal01]

Alright thanks guys i couldn't really find anything on Google so this really helped.

 

[Deep Seven]

If you seeded it you could speed up the process, most likely by a lot. Just take out the old filter, and gently squeeze it directly over or in front of your new filter then put i back.

 

[Tcal01]

If you seeded it you could speed up the process, most likely by a lot. Just take out the old filter, and gently squeeze it directly over or in front of your new filter then put i back.

I will do this every pwc for a month just to be safe