Filters **again**

[stevek77]

i have a small 26 gallon tank which has currently got a small aquis 500 filter on it but its not very powerful although all api tests are fine, i have just picked up a tetratec ex700 CHEAP but it hasnt got any hoses or poss filter media hence why so cheap £25 inc p&p,
so with this in mind how would i go about swapping filters over?,
would i

A. buy all the bits and run the 2 side by side for a month then discontinue the aquis
OR
B, take out what i can from the aquis i.e bio balls carbon etc and put it into the tetratec as this would save the costs of hoses/spraybars + inlet pipe etc,

any advise pls?

 

[CezzaXV]

Get the ex700 set up with pipes and everything, then transfer all the media over from your old filter. You then no longer need the old filter.

If you ran the old filter side by side with the new filter, the bacteria would split themselves roughly half and half between the two filters. When you then removed the old filter, you'd be losing half of your bacteria and you'd be in a cycling situation again.

 

[stevek77]

Get the ex700 set up with pipes and everything, then transfer all the media over from your old filter. You then no longer need the old filter.

If you ran the old filter side by side with the new filter, the bacteria would split themselves roughly half and half between the two filters. When you then removed the old filter, you'd be losing half of your bacteria and you'd be in a cycling situation again.

i was thinking that but obviously the aquis has diff sponge designs (smaller and diff shape)so i would prob only be able to get the bio balls across or is there another way of get the bacteria onto the tetratec sponges?

 

[Juggler75]

cut the sponges up into a shape that will fit and put the off cuts in there as well

 

[stevek77]

cut the sponges up into a shape that will fit and put the off cuts in there as well

mmmm thats a thought
but i know the tetratec is bigger so if i can get all my filter material in the new one plus whatever else i have of existing tetratec material in the filter will that work?, also when i have cleaned the old filter after i remove the baskets the bio balls float around in the bottom of the cannister in what looks like dirty water should i also put this dirty water into the new filter including the bio balls into the relevent tetratec basket? (tetratec have ceramic at bottom)

 

[minnnt]

Just put all the media you have in the filter, make sure the layer is full though as water will pass around the media if there are gaps. Add more sponges/floss as and when you get some.

Is the aquis an external? If so use the pipes from that.