Switching Filters in an Established Tank

[DeirdreHoyle]

Hello All,
I have a 25 gal community tank and I just put in a new HOB filter. I had a Fluval Penguin 200 bio-wheel filter because when I got the tank (off craigslist) I thought it was a 40 gal. I bought the filter and set up the tank and a few months later I measured it and found out it's actually only 25 gallon. I've had the tank for almost a year, water parameters are all great. The Fluval stopped working a few days ago and I bought an API Superclean power filter. I put the new filter in yesterday but since the filter cartridges from my old one are so much bigger, I couldn't put that in the new one to hold the bacteria. So I just took the wheel from my old filter and stuffed it in the back of the filter (see picture).

Is this an ok way to keep my bb so I don't re-cycle my aquarium?

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

Would help if I attached the pictures lol....

 

[BBradbury]

Switching Filters

Hello All,
I have a 25 gal community tank and I just put in a new HOB filter. I had a Fluval Penguin 200 bio-wheel filter because when I got the tank (off craigslist) I thought it was a 40 gal. I bought the filter and set up the tank and a few months later I measured it and found out it's actually only 25 gallon. I've had the tank for almost a year, water parameters are all great. The Fluval stopped working a few days ago and I bought an API Superclean power filter. I put the new filter in yesterday but since the filter cartridges from my old one are so much bigger, I couldn't put that in the new one to hold the bacteria. So I just took the wheel from my old filter and stuffed it in the back of the filter (see picture).

Is this an ok way to keep my bb so I don't re-cycle my aquarium?

Hello Deir...

That's fine. You did things the easy way. When you're ready to replace the media, do a water change. You'll have old water to rinse the old media in and take the new stuff and rinse that in the old water too. Then set up the new filter and plug it in, you'll be good to go.

Remember, the good bacteria lives on all surfaces inside the tank, not just in the filter media. What is lost during the switching out process will reproduce to former levels in a few hours.

Have fun!

B

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

Hello Deir...

That's fine. You did things the easy way. When you're ready to replace the media, do a water change. You'll have old water to rinse the old media in and take the new stuff and rinse that in the old water too. Then set up the new filter and plug it in, you'll be good to go.

Remember, the good bacteria lives on all surfaces inside the tank, not just in the filter media. What is lost during the switching out process will reproduce to former levels in a few hours.

Have fun!

B

Thanks! I put in the new filter during my last water change and filled it with old tank water. I tried not to vacuum too much of the gravel so I would have bb there and I also put the wheel from the old one in the back of the new one. So far no ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes

 

[Mebbid]

You could also just cut the old filter pad into pieces and cram it in the filter as well. Imho that'd be the safest way to do it.

 

[DeirdreHoyle]

You could also just cut the old filter pad into pieces and cram it in the filter as well. Imho that'd be the safest way to do it.

I already threw out the old filter cartridge :/ it was really dirty anyway so it was probably for the best.