2 Filters 1 Tank

Tobigara · Mar 10, 2008

Bignose said:
Nick, there is no such thing as "too much filtration." Biologically, the number of bacteria grow in response the rate of production of waste from your fish. Adding another filter to your tank doesn't change the number of bacteria -- it may change where they are located as bacteria move into your new filter, that will be at the expense of the number in the old filter. If you don't change the number of fish, or their feeding habits, then you won't change their rate of ammonia production, so there will still be the same number of bacteria. The number of bacteria doesn't care how many machines you have moving water around, 1, 2, 10 ... doesn't matter to the bacteria.

However, the fish might. Depending on your fish, they may not like having too many currents in their tank. If the fish are from slow moving streams or ponds, they definitely won't like strong currents. If they are from fast moving streams or rivers, however, they might really like some additional current. This is where researching your fish pays off.

If you want your water "crystal clear" (as an aside, I don't know why you'd really want that -- water is nature isn't crystal clear and crystal clear water doesn't necessarily correspond to a healthy tank -- but to each their own) you'd probably want to get a micron filter or diatom filter or something like that. Maybe using activated carbon, or zeolite, too. A combination of mechanical/chemical filtration will polish the water.

I don't want to hijack a thread so i'm stealing this from another thread.
http

/www.fishforums.net/content-page/234...ination/page/0/

I'm currently running a Penguin 350 and a C-360 cannister on a 55 gallon. The C-360 has only been on the tank for about 3 weeks but i'm starting a 44 gal corner african tank in 2 weeks with the penguin. I've read on here that you can clone a filter by running 2 at the same time but going by Bignose this might not work. Did i read this wrong? The bacteria might not move to the new filter? I realize i'm being a bit lazy but i do not want to go through a fish in cycle again and i cannot find pure ammonia to do a fishless cycle. i don't think i have any spare media from my other tanks.

Here's my real question. Can i just move the penguin over to the 44 and have both the 55 and 44 cycled if i leave them both on the 55 for 5 weeks? Does that make sense?

I'm sorry if this is an absurd question. Thanks

darknirvana217 · Mar 10, 2008

I had to Eheim 2217s on my 120, and when I set up my 150 gallon I moved one, media and all, over to the new tank. I tunred it on and put in my most hardy fish to give the tank some waste and ammonia to help with beneficial bacteria production. I never had a problem, and my water stats never went beserk, and even my delicate fish made it without any problems.