Biorb To 200 Litre Cycling Filter Question

[Bill1976]

Currently I have a 60litre biorb, with 6 neon tetras in, I want to keep the biorb for some shrimp and maybe keep the tetras in there, ( converting it to sand ) so next job is to fill my new tank up and get it going, can I put the new filter in the biorb for a few weeks to get the bacteria going in the filter? Then transfer it over along with some media and ornaments?

My main concern is Will the new filter blow the socks off the biorb though? Can I cover it up with something to take the pressure off?


Still very new to this, so any advice welcome

 

[Akasha72]

Hi Bill and welcome to the forum.
 
I'm not familiar with the Biorb but what your thinking of doing is correct - you would be looking to seed the new filter and so putting it in the Biorb alongside the existing filter would do that. The alternative would be to just add the media (the sponges) if there is space in the biorb filter to do that. It should seed within a month but I would still go steady when adding fish.
Your existing filter is cycled for 6 neons, if you added another 6 the bacteria will need to multiply rapidly to support 6 more fish and so what you would see is a mini cycle occuring. 
As you are upgrading I would seed the new filter but I would look to add fish in two's and three's until you get to the stocking level you want. That way you allow the bacteria chance to multiply.
 
Of course you could also do a fish-less cycle on the new tank which would allow you to fully stock as soon as the fish-less cycle is done. For instructions on this head over to the cycle your tank section

 

[Essjay]

I would be concerned that a filter rated for 200 litres would make the biorb a bit too much like a cyclone for the tetras if you were to run the new filter in there.
 
Biorbs' filtration comes in 2 parts. The box contains sponge and a carbon/zeolite mix. The sponge is designed to catch bits of debris but will also house some bacteria. Zeolite absorbs ammonia but it gets full so it will probably have stopped absorbing ammonia a long time ago if you've had the biorb a while - unless you replace this box every few weeks as the instructions tell you to.
The bioliogical medium is the stones on the bottom of the tank. You could use those in the new filter, and probably not have to cycle the new tank; or you could use some of them in the new filter to kick start a fishless cycle. If you used all the rocks in the new tank, you would need to move your current livestock to the new tank as there wouldn't be enough bacteria in the filter box to support them, and especially if you do change it every few weeks.
 
If you want to convert the biorb to sand, you will need a new filter in there. The biorb's filter is basically an undergravel filter, which won't work with sand.
 
 
I would be inclined to use all the biorb rocks in the new filter, and move them and the tetras to the new tank at the same time. Then add new fish slowly.
 
Once you have the new tank set up, change the biorb to sand. If you want to keep a shrimp colony in there, you could do a lot worse than a sponge filter powered by an air pump. These are good for shrimps as they don't suck up the newly hatched babies. But you would need to cycle any filter that you choose for the biorb.
 

 

[Bill1976]

Hi Bill and welcome to the forum.
 
I'm not familiar with the Biorb but what your thinking of doing is correct - you would be looking to seed the new filter and so putting it in the Biorb alongside the existing filter would do that. The alternative would be to just add the media (the sponges) if there is space in the biorb filter to do that. It should seed within a month but I would still go steady when adding fish.
Your existing filter is cycled for 6 neons, if you added another 6 the bacteria will need to multiply rapidly to support 6 more fish and so what you would see is a mini cycle occuring. 
As you are upgrading I would seed the new filter but I would look to add fish in two's and three's until you get to the stocking level you want. That way you allow the bacteria chance to multiply.
 
Of course you could also do a fish-less cycle on the new tank which would allow you to fully stock as soon as the fish-less cycle is done. For instructions on this head over to the cycle your tank section

Hi, thanks for the reply, here is a link to much loved biorb http/www.completeaquatics.co.uk/biorb-60-litre-silver-with-led-light?gclid=CjwKEAiAuea1BRCbn-2n7PbLgEMSJAABQvTTL0o7CJDOoYlmAzMeovdTS9OxutQKg2YUifIKlo7zbBoC_qrw_wcB

I got it as a starter and didn't know much about them, just liked the look of them, like most people who end up buying them, but I've since realised there not to clever, there is no room to add the media into the biorb filter really, so I guess that's not an option, I've since had a change of plan, well as advised below really, seems like the easiest move tbh, thanks for the advice much appreciated!

!

I would be concerned that a filter rated for 200 litres would make the biorb a bit too much like a cyclone for the tetras if you were to run the new filter in there.

Yeah I think your right there, would be like being in a washing machine!
 
Biorbs' filtration comes in 2 parts. The box contains sponge and a carbon/zeolite mix. The sponge is designed to catch bits of debris but will also house some bacteria. Zeolite absorbs ammonia but it gets full so it will probably have stopped absorbing ammonia a long time ago if you've had the biorb a while - unless you replace this box every few weeks as the instructions tell you to.
The bioliogical medium is the stones on the bottom of the tank. You could use those in the new filter, and probably not have to cycle the new tank; or you could use some of them in the new filter to kick start a fishless cycle. If you used all the rocks in the new tank, you would need to move your current livestock to the new tank as there wouldn't be enough bacteria in the filter box to support them, and especially if you do change it every few weeks.
 
If you want to convert the biorb to sand, you will need a new filter in there. The biorb's filter is basically an undergravel filter, which won't work with sand.

I've since ordered and received an elite stingray filter, before reading this post, hopefully it won't suck up any baby shrimp, if it does I'll put some sort of net/stocking over it. Black sand also been ordered for both tanks but not received yet.

 
 
I would be inclined to use all the biorb rocks in the new filter, and move them and the tetras to the new tank at the same time. Then add new fish slowly.
 
Once you have the new tank set up, change the biorb to sand. If you want to keep a shrimp colony in there, you could do a lot worse than a sponge filter powered by an air pump. These are good for shrimps as they don't suck up the newly hatched babies. But you would need to cycle any filter that you choose for the biorb.

This is the road I am going to go down, thanks for the advice, it's helped me decide what I need to do, and the best way for me to do it, there's a lot to learn, so I'll be pestering quite a bit, cheers for advice ladies
I seem to have put half of my reply in the middle of your quotations above ooops!

 

[Akasha72]

glad essjay came along and sorted you out. As I said I'm not familiar with the Biorb but now I know it's actually an under gravel filter I'd agree with essjay.
 
Looking forward to seeing the new tank set up

 

[Bill1976]

Sounds like the best option, I seem to have got some of my reply in the middle of the quotes above oops!

 

[Akasha72]

don't worry, I got the gist

 

[Essjay]

The stingray filter is another one that uses a carbon/zeolite cartridge. See the manual here
The problem with this is that the zeolite will absorb the ammonia you will be trying to cycle the filter with. The solution is to replace the cartridge with sponge, any make cut to the shape of the cartridge.
 
You don't need the carbon either!
 
 
 
Edit to add:
Ladies black knee high socks make good filter covers should you need one.

 

[Bill1976]

So that will be the 2 little pockets with the grey gravelly stuff in then? Had a quick look at it earlier on, I will indeed swap it over for sponge if that's the case, and I'll borrow some of the Mrs knee high socks if I can't find any in my Saturday night drawer!

 

[Bill1976]

Update on this, is we had a new kitchen fitted over the last 6 weeks or so, with the power going off quite a lot unknown to me as I was at work, thought the kitchen electrics was isolated, it wasn't and was linked into the lounge, so the tanks been on and off for long periods of time, resulting in dead fish and me starting over again.

Decided to cycle both new tanks with household ammonia, so I'm in the process of that, lesson learnt!