Old filter, new filter, beneficial bacteria

[Coryluv]

I just got a new canister filter last week (yeah!). In order to keep my beneficial bacteria I'm still running my HOB with my canister. If it makes any difference, the canister is a Fluval 206 and the HOB Is an Aquaclear 50. How long should I run both to get a good colony of BB going in the canister?

I have a 29 gallon tank and keep it at 76 F. My tank is well planted and has about a 55% bio load according to Aqadvisor. My parameters are ammo 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, and pH 7.8.

[Soupy97]

Well I would run it for about a month or so but I think the most effective thing would be to take the filter cartridge out of the HOB and place it into the canister near the bio media. This might help with transition quicker. I would then take the cartridge out about a month later, Maybe a little longer to be safe.

[Coryluv]

Thanks. I'm going to leave it be for now, but I do have an extra piece of bonded filter material sitting in the HOB. I'll seed the canister with it next time I open it. I was thinking a month, too. But added seeded material for insurance is a good idea.

[junglefowl]

I would said 2-4 weeks are enough. If you don't use the HOB for another tank, you can keep both filters for your tank for benefit later. I also have an HOB and a canister filters running on my 29gallon tank

[Coryluv]

Thanks junglefowl. I probably will retire the HOB from active use, but I will always keep some bonded filter material in the canister so that I can start up and seed the HOB in a hurry if needed. I can also put ceramic rings from the canister in the HOB. That's the nice thing about the Aquaclear being a box you can fill to taste. It certainly never hurts to have a spare filter in case the main filter breaks down.

[Old Scales]

I have exactly the same size tank with both of these exact filters on it. I like it with both as I can rotate cleanings a week apart and my nitrification rate has stayed constant for months now. If one ever malfunctions you won't lose total filtration until fixed. OS.

[Coryluv]

Thanks Old Scales. Just curious, but what media do you have in your filters?

In my AC 50 I have from bottom to top, the foam block that came with it, two layers of Marineland bonded filter material cut to size, a small media bag of peat (about 2-3 Tbsp replaced monthly not to significantly change the pH, but I like having a little tannin in my SA tank) and the ceramic bio pellets that came with it on top.

In the Fluval 206 I have the foam in the frame of course. In the media trays I have the bio foam that came with in the bottom, in the middle I have biomax ceramic rings -- both what came with and extra I bought to fill the tray completely (what came with barely covered the bottom). In the top tray I have the finishing pad that came with and two pieces of the Marineland bonded filter material cut to size (which can be used to seed a HOB). I eventually plan to put the peat from the HOB in the canister in the top tray, too.

What I have in the HOB keeps my ammo and nitrite consistently 0. All I do is slosh it out in tank water.

While my question is a little tangential, the material we keep in there does have something to do with cultivating our BB and I'd like to know what your strategy is and thoughts are.

[Old Scales]

LOL We must be of like minds as you have exactly what I have in both your filters except the peat. The only difference is I put filter floss pad under the bio ceramics in the middle tray and more bio ceramics in the top tray with a purigen pad as the very last thing.
As for cleaning, I put dechlorinated tap water matched in temperature kinda close to the tank in a bucket and put by the sink. I put the bio media in this water while I clean the foam and floss pads under a strong stream from the tap. I just like getting them that much cleaner than just swishing aroung in the bucket. Also I like to clean the impellor and its cavity really well to help avoid start up stalls on the aqua clear HOB. One tip, every other cleaning use cotton swabs to reach all the way down to the bottom of the cavity. Surprising how much gunk is below where your brush can't reach. I rinse my foam and pads until completely clear. Also reuse the pads as mushing them aroung makes them even more efficient. Put all back together, put in bio media bags back on top and reinstall. I know that the tap water kills the BB in the pads but it is still in the bio media, Also if I didn't have two filters I couldn't do the tap water cleaning. By rotating the cleanings I have never had even a tiny loss of nitrification. OS.

[Coryluv]

I hear you on the impeller cleaning. That's critical to running the AC HOB. Looks like the 206 impeller is similar in design. That's one thing, in setting up the 206, you certainly learn all of its pieces.

I tend to slosh my foam vigorously, lol. I hear you on still having BB by only cleaning some of the filter in tap water. Having just set up my canister 5 days ago, it' not due for a cleaning, yet; so I'll see how it goes when it's due.

"What do you have in your filter?" could be an interesting thread in and of itself. TYVM OS.

[Old Scales]

You are so welcome. How's your Cory cats doing? My false julies are getting plumb comical. They're getting as amorous as guppies, LOL. I never knew Corys would spawn so often. Really fun and funny to watch. OS.

[Coryluv]

Thanks for asking. My corys are great. All growing, eating well, and doing typical cory stuff. They love playing in the plants. They are so cute when they swim out from in back over the rocks in a group. And the shrimp pellet feeding frenzy is a blast. My pristella tetras are little feeding machines that will go after food on the bottom, but when it comes to the shrimp pellet, they can't get past the gaggle of corys.

Glad yours are doing well and enjoying life, so to speak , lol.

I love having a nice little school of them. Truly one of life's joys, OS.