Adding Another Fluval Filter At A Later Date

[andy d]

Hello

Just wondering if you had a Fluval 4 (internal filter), set up for years, fully cycled etc, then added another would it itself go through a cycle?

LFS said it would be fine just to add it along side the current one. I suggested swapping one sponge with the established filter but they said it wasn't necessary.

I added the 2nd one when I added more Malawi Cichlids to improve mechanical filtration and water flow.

 

[vinylman]

Yes, any filter you place/add to a tank will go through a cycle.

 

[arobinson1984]

Yes just run it alongside the established filter, no need to transfer any media. Over a period of 4-6 weeks the new filter will have aquired bacteria from your established filter. This is known as 'seeding' a filter

Andy

 

[saltynay]

No seeding is where you transfer a small amount of filter media to the new sponge so that the bacteria colonies merely have to spread. Just run it next to it and it will cycle although why use up all that room inside the tank, I would get an external.

 

[Infidel_Uk]

well my tank was 2/3 rds of its way through a fish less cycle , i add an internal pump, and the cycle continued , if anything id say things sped up !

 

[andy d]

Cool.

So I don't need to worry about spikes or anything and just leave it to get on with it?

I dont have room for an external one with how I have it.

 

[arobinson1984]

No seeding is where you transfer a small amount of filter media to the new sponge so that the bacteria colonies merely have to spread. Just run it next to it and it will cycle although why use up all that room inside the tank, I would get an external.

I thought seeding was both, running it alongside / transfering media.

When I got my new eheim external I wasd told to 'seed' it by running it alongside my jewul internal

Andy

 

[saltynay]

If I was you I woould transfer one sponge from the old filter to the new one to speed up the cycling process if your looking to add the cichlids soon e.g. within a month if not then don't bother.

I thought seeding was both, running it alongside / transfering media.
When I got my new eheim external I wasd told to 'seed' it by running it alongside my jewul internal

Suppose its up to debate but I have always broken it down thus and its how I believe most people on here do;

Cycling - Takes 4-6 weeks and doesn't involve transfer of old media, tank water contains trace amounts of beneficial bacteria but not really enough to properly establish more rapidly then in a bare tank situation.

Seeding - Takes 1-2 weeks and involves the transfer of old media but only a small amount so that the bacteria can spread to the new filter media from already established colonies

Cloning - Transfer of enough media that cycling is not needed e.g. buying an external and moving all the filter media from the previous filter into the external which may not fill it and leave extra room for more media but the current stocking of the tank is not at risk.

 

[andy d]

Ah!

So do I have a problem?

The fish were in already and I added the second filter! Been 2-3 weeks now.

 

[saltynay]

no problem just that it would of taken 1-2 weeks if you had transferred the sponge over to get the other filter cycled as it is you have approx 2 more weeks until it is cycled which isn't a bad time frame and won't of given your fish any adverse effects.