So I have my new filters...now what?

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 22 Dec 2003, 20:22

Alrighty, so my new filters for my two 10 gallons came today. They are Marineland Penguin Bio-Wheel Minis. So my question is: How do I change the filters without losing all of my good bacteria that finally decided to show up in my old filters? They must be living in the old filter cartridge, as I haven't changed that in several weeks now, so can I transfer pieces of the old cartridge into the new filters? Or what do I do? I'd like to change the filters tonight so I can get the bio-wheels started on their quest of good bacteria! Thank you in advance!

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 22 Dec 2003, 21:51

Hello,

If possible, you can run both filters for a couple of weeks to allow the media to begin culturing. If not, you can place the old cartridges in the new filter or simply give the old cartridge a good cleaning in the tank. If you have enough substrate in the tank, there should be plenty of "good" bacteria in there to get you started without doing all that. However, it couldn't hurt to put some of the old cartridge in for safe measure.

Larry Vires

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 22 Dec 2003, 22:09

Hi! Thank you for replying so fast!

I won't be able to run the two filters at the same time, because there isn't enough hood space/cutouts to allow that and the cartridges in the old filter are too big to fit into the new filters. So would I just clean all of the gunk from my old cartridges into the water of the tank? Can I leave the old filter cartridge sitting in the bottom of the tank for awhile or is that a bad idea?

I don't have much gravel in the tank at all. I have a pile sitting on the bubbly air wand to keep it down and then a sprinkling on the other side of the tank to keep the PVC pipes from rolling around. The gravel used to hold the air wand down did come from another tank that had been set up for maybe a month or so, so maybe that's a good thing.

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 22 Dec 2003, 23:23

Hello,

You can try just leaving the filter in the tank for a couple of weeks, but I doubt getting as strong of a seeding going as if it were in direct contact with the new filter. I used to seed new tanks with filter dirt regularly, but always did it before fish were added. I would probably just cut some good dirty sections from the old filter cartridge and place them behind the new cartridge.

As for the effectiveness of the substrate, that's shot. Nitrobacter and Nitrospira have 21 and 28 day, respectively, reproductive periods. That is to say, that it takes that long for 1 cell to create a second active colony, not that it takes that long for 1 cell to become 2. These times are based upon generalized lab reports, so please refrain from flames due to tanks conditioning much faster.

I would just cut up the old cartridge to use as seed.

Larry Vires

Post by **Dinyar** » 23 Dec 2003, 00:19

We use Biowheel 170s on 10 gals and 125s on 5 gals. IMO, a Mini on a 10 g is a bit underpowered, unless you have a very lightly stocked tank.

Dinyar

Post by **Shane** » 23 Dec 2003, 00:26

Larry is correct that you should try to fit the old cartridge in the new filter if you can. As many people know, I am a huge fan of these filters. That said, I never use the cartridges. I just fill the filter with a sponge and put the sponge Marineland sales for reverse flow undergravels on the intake of the power filter. Now you have 60-70 gallons of sponge (mechanical/bio) filtration plus the bio filtration of the biowheel. If you are doing good water changes (say 70% every week in a 10 gallon), there is no reason for chemical filtration. If you go on vacation, just fill a woman's stocking with carbon and stick it in the power filter. Those cartridges are just too expensive. Also, if you do not use this filter without the sponge prefilter described above, you will go through a filter a week or so as they clog long before the carbon wears out.
-Shane

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 23 Dec 2003, 00:49

what you need to do is get the beneficial bacteria growing, you can introduce that in the severl ways people have outlined. the best one is going to be if you can fit that old media in there with the new filter and its media.

If you take the hood off for now you could have both filters running, one on one side and the other filter on the other side, this would be easiest and safest, just run it for a couple weeks that way and then remove the old filter. this will cause the least amount of stress i think.

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 23 Dec 2003, 00:59

Hi! Thanks for all of the answers!

I got the Marineland minis because I kept reading they were good for 2-20 gallon tanks and in my "Ammonia and Zeolyte" post I asked if these filters would be okay, but I don't think I got any answers, so I went ahead and ordered these ones. Also, space-wise on the hood, I would have to buy a different hood to get a bigger filter and the ones at the lfs are $25 each and the tank setup and the tank itself I got were only $30.

So, as yashmack says, I can leave the hood off and run both filters at once? I have a cat. Is this a good idea? I really doubt she would bother the fish. She doesn't pay much attention to them at all, but I just worry, y'know?

I do 40% water changes every other day or so. I was having the real bad ammona problems, so I was doing the water changes like crazy. Last night I did a bit bigger water change of 50% and when I tested the nitrites and nitrates they were both at 0, but the ammonia was at .5-1ppm, so I'll do another water change tonight. Since I do so many water changes I don't get much gunk in the filter because I'm pretty anal about cleaning the gravel.

So if it's okay that I leave the hood off with the two filters running I'll do that. I *mostly* trust my cat, but there's still that inkling of "What if???" Otherwise, I'll cut up the bits of filter floss and put those in my other new filter.

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 23 Dec 2003, 01:38

Hey, I just realized something. In one of my 10 gallons I have a bunch of cories. If I had the two filters running, could I kinda prop the hood over them so it still kinda covers the tank? I don't want one of my cories coming up for air and zinging out of the tank!!!

My dad just suggested saran wrap over the tank? Can I do that and poke holes in it so air can get through? Just a question...

HAH!!!!! Okay, so it turns out that the filter I have is the exact same as the Marineland one I ordered, with the only exception being the little biowheel doodad that fits on the thing. I don't have to change filters at all! I just had to put the biowheel thing onto my old one. Well, I guess I have two back-up filters now.

MackIntheBox · Post by **MackIntheBox** » 23 Dec 2003, 16:32

Fiskars the Whiskers wrote:HAH!!!!! Okay, so it turns out that the filter I have is the exact same as the Marineland one I ordered, with the only exception being the little biowheel doodad that fits on the thing. I don't have to change filters at all! I just had to put the biowheel thing onto my old one. Well, I guess I have two back-up filters now.

woot! at least you dont have to worry about the cat and cores now, lol

dont completely eliminate the ammonia from your tank with water changes, you want some there for the bactera to grow on. I wouldnt let it get above 1ppm but try to keep it ther until it starts to go away on its own.

Fiskars the Whiskers · Post by **Fiskars the Whiskers** » 23 Dec 2003, 16:55

Well! I am glad to know that Marineland and WalMart are in cahoots with each other. As I was taking the first filter cartridge out of its package I was thinking, "Hey, that's weird. This looks like the same size as my regular filter," and then I looked at the actual filter box. Exact same thing. *L*

Okay, it's good to know just a hint of ammonia is okay for a little bit. I was thinking, "Ammonia is BAD!!! Must get it out of pictus tank!!!" I'm sure my fish were hating me there for awhile. "She's got that THING to suck the water out of our tank again! AGH!!!" *L* Okay, now I'm just being weird. I'll stop.