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So I cannot cycle the tank within a week even if I put in the liquid bacteria and the bio matter
 
If you are just changing the filter you don't need to cycle it, just put the old media into the new filter.



If you run two filters in the same tank, one old filter and one new filter, adding bacteria will do nothing because the tank is already cycled. There will only be as many bacteria as necessary to remove the ammonia made by the fish, adding more bacteria from a bottle does not mean there will be more bacteria in the tank because without food (ammonia) for the extra bacteria, some will starve. That's why it is so much easier to use the old media because that already contains the bacteria.

Whenever I have changed a filter in an established tank, I just put all the old media into the new filter.
 
Ah, with an undergravel filter, the media is the gravel. In this case you can't put the old media in the new filter. You said earlier that you want to change the substrate - in other words you want to take out all the old media.

This does make it trickier. Running the new filter in the tank won't grow any more bacteria that you already have. Most of them will stay in the gravel. Adding bottled bacteria won't grow any more bacteria - the amount of bacteria you already have is the maximum the tank can support.


All I can suggest is that you set up a container, the larger the better, and run the new filter in that. Add a bacterial starter and ammonia, and follow this method

Once the new filter is cycled, remove the fish from the tank and put them in the container with the filter while you change the substrate (do you intend removing the undergravel filter as well?)
You have also mentioned plants - if you intend fast growing plants these will help as live plants take up ammonia and they don't turn it into nitrite - floating plants are best for this.
Once you have the new substrate and plants in the tank, put the fish back in and the new filter. Keep an eye on ammonia and nitrite until you are sure they remain at zero - if they do read over zero, a water change will get them back down.
 
If you have an undergravel filter and are changing the gravel, keep some of the old gravel and put it in a mesh bag or stocking leg. Put the bag of old gravel on the new gravel and put some new gravel on top of the bag. The bacteria will spread from the old gravel to the new gravel over the next few weeks and the cycling time will be significantly less.
 

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