Adding New Filter

[Crazybob]

hey guys, i have a 75g, currently running with a emperor 400 with a minor undergravel. i recently got a cascade 700, that i plan on using to filter a 40 long, but i want to create the bacteria culture before i set up the new tank. will i experience a mini cycle of sorts by doing this? i dont want my fishes to get sick and/or die.

thanks,
crazybob

 

[Spooky76]

Hey - depends how you do it. If you put your new filter in the tank with the old one, depending on the outputs, if they both turn over the same amount Per Hour they will both culture.

You could always take all your media out your old one and put it in the new one and leave it a week before you clean it. If you dont let the media dry up or out the water too long it should be OK really.

Remember, you cant culture media and keep it going unless you either add ammonia or have fish in it though, because without the food source (Ammonia) the media bacteria will die off.

Does that make sense ? Im not 100% sure what your trying to do really - im a bit slow

 

[Crazybob]

yeah, that makes sense. what im doing is adding a third filter to my tank basically. im keeping my fish in the tank (75g) along with the original filters (emperor 400 & undergravel [tho im not sure how effective it is lol]). i just dont want there to be any ammonia and or nitrite/nitrate spikes that could be harmful to my fish.

im not removing any existing filtration, and there is still going to be fish (green terror, orange pike, and 3 spotted pictus cats) living in the tank.

thanks for the help spooky