Changing Filters

[alex.wardle]

I am now the proud owner of a fluval 305 external filter. ( got it for my birthday) spent a good hour or 2 last night setting it all up, and then 15 mins drying the floor because I hadn't attached the seal poperly.
My question is......
Is it alright to take all the media out of your old filter and put it in the new one(I do mean all of it)
My theory being I have not lost any bacteria and it should now start to spread to the new fillter media.
I sandwiched the foam screans from my old inbertween the 4 new ones and the carbon screans behind the new foam and placed the biomax rings from my old filter in one of the media baskets with the new biomax rings. I of corse will be keeping a very close eye on my test results.
Have many people done this before.
Chears

 

[justjon]

Yes.

I took as much as I could out my old filter and put it in my fluval 205 (still in there at the moment).

You dont need the carbon in there unless removing meds or tannins, if you're not doing either take it out as it's pointless, and replace it with the old filter media.

I simply slotted as much as I could into the media trays.

 

[alex.wardle]

Yes.

I took as much as I could out my old filter and put it in my fluval 205 (still in there at the moment).

You dont need the carbon in there unless removing meds or tannins, if you're not doing either take it out as it's pointless, and replace it with the old filter media.

I simply slotted as much as I could into the media trays.

Cool, only put the screens in there as well because i figured they would have plenty of bacteria on it as well. Will wipe them out when i get back from work.
Did u have a mini cycle as a result of the change or were you all good.

 

[Too Fast]

I did this 2 weeks ago when I got a new tank. I used most of what I could in the new filter which was probably 75%. I got a "mini cycle" as you say but the readings were not bad at any stage and are now perfect.