New Filter + Couple More Questions

[Ilikefishes]

I bought an AquaClear 50 for my 29 gal, but this filter is alot different then my other bio filter. The sponge, carbon, and biomax are system is odd to me in the sense that I do not understand if this is a biological filter? Or is it a chemical filter? Will this filter develop any beneficial bacteria? How long will this filter take to cycle? Any answers would be awesome.

Thanks everyone!

 

[neilanh]

The ACs do all 3 - mechanical biological and chemical - depending on which media types you place in it. The sponge is the mechanical, the biomax the biological and the carbon the chemical, for instance.

Any filter will house beneficial bacteria, just takes a little while before they'll start growing in there (technically the bacteria are everywhere in your tank, they just thrive in high-oxygen environments, such as your filter.)

 

[mgamer20o0]

water moving over any surface will create a place for good bacteria.

when you ask about how long it will take to cycle is this for a new tank or a already cycled tank?

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

These filters are awesome!! As the mod says it does all three so you get a wide range of filtration. Assuming your just putting a new filter on an already established tank then you may want to swish the old filter around in the water by the new intake so that bacteria gets seeded in the new filter. This may produce a mini cycle but by the end of the day you should be fine.

 

[mfdrookie516]

If the tank is currently up and running, just run the ac with the current filter for a month. ac filters are awesome. i dont run carbon in mine, i run sponge on the bottom, rings in the middle, sponge on top. i have an ac50 on a 10g and it does a super awesome job

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

If the tank is currently up and running, just run the ac with the current filter for a month. ac filters are awesome. i dont run carbon in mine, i run sponge on the bottom, rings in the middle, sponge on top. i have an ac50 on a 10g and it does a super awesome job

No carbon period? Have you ever ran it with carbon?

 

[mfdrookie516]

No carbon period? Have you ever ran it with carbon?

nope, never even had carbon in any of my filters

 

[Ilikefishes]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. It's too late to swash the old biomedia in the water because I threw it away when I took that filter out :/ But yeah, now it's just back to constant water changes and Nutrafin cycle HAHA.

 

[mattrox]

I have run a aquaclear with just sponges in, no carbon. It performs the mechanical and biological no problems.