Filter Question.

[GTS_MAD]

Hey Guys,

Iv recently purchested a New external filter,
Basically my tank has been running for about 7 weeks with a Fluval U4 internal filter but water was always very cloudy and filter was getting blocked every 2 weeks.

So purchested this new external filter, all setup and running, and also with the internal filter still going.

My question is how long do i leave it before i can remove the old internal filter and just leave the external 1 going?

 

[onebto]

I would say at least a fortnight to allow the media in the external to be colonised well enough with beneficial bacteria but then again I am no expert in this particular matter and an expert maybe able to say otherwise but I would be inclined to make sure with a decent amount of time

Of course it does depend on your stocking and size of tank and also one has to be mindful when you take out the small internal your bacteria's capability to absorb ammonia will reduce for a while as you will just have the external then.

Did you sort all your other problems out ? clown loaches dyeing, white spot etc

Regards onebto

 

[GTS_MAD]

yes clown loachs are doing fine now,
Found out it was the filter at fault and was polluting thr water.

Now got a Rena XP4 and he water is super clear, but leaving all fish out until fully clced with external filter.

Would it be better if i put the spones from the U4 into one of the Bins of the external filter?

 

[OldMan47]

My own experience with trying to do this kind of a switch has made me quite leery of it. I ran a filter in a tank for about 4 weeks hoping to populate it from the existing one and from the fish providing the ammonia source. When I moved it to a small tank with 4 small fish in it, the result was I had a filter good for ammonia but not able to deal with nitrites. I always do better than that by just cleaning a mature filter in a new tank and then treating it as a fishless cycle for a few days. Within a week, it is almost always ready for as many fish as I want to throw at it.

 

[GTS_MAD]

ok great so that would work by putting the mature sponges from my old flter into the external 1 then?

 

[hybwolf]

ok great so that would work by putting the mature sponges from my old flter into the external 1 then?

Yes, just take the sponge from the old filter and put it in the new filter. This will work fine.
I just set a 20H gallon tank up 4 days ago and robbed some bio beads and sponge material from my dads canister filter to add to my Aquaclear filter. Added 5 Rasbora, 2 Neon Tetra, and a Dwarf Gourami the same day. Tested for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates twice a day. Zero readings until 3rd day when test registerd nitrates. Good to go in 3 days, sweet!

 

[OldMan47]

Filter clones, like hybwolf did, are much more reliable than simply running filters side by side.