Need advice on upgraded filter please!

[rbell831]

So I have a 20 gallon hexagon aqueon tank that had an aqueon quiet flow 20 filter, I have 4 platys, 1 molly, and 2 cory cats. I bought an aqueon quiet flow 50 today and it's ready to go, but I have heard that I shouldn't discard the old cartridge from my other filter. This is a fairly new tank, and when I added my first 4 platys I had zero ammonia and perfect pH. I then added 2 cory cats a week later, my tank got cloudy, Aquatic Environments (a local aquarium store that specializes in salt n fresh water tanks and is extremely well known in the Midwest) tested my water today and said I have a trace amount of ammonia and nitrite but that it should stabilize in about two weeks. With that being said, is it healthy to keep that old cartridge? I'm excited to have a stronger filter, but don't want to go through the cycling process all over again. This tank was started about a week or two before Christmas.

 

[bigsea]

Id stick your old filter in there somewhere for sure. If you have trace ammonia and nitrite your tank is cycling again. Did you do a 75% waterchange after they told you this? If you havent you should do it like now. Grab some seachem prime or fluval biobooster too.

Dont bother putting an old cartridge in the new ones place just stick that old cartridge anywhere it will fit fully submerged

- St Charles Almendras Geraldizo