How Do I Upgrade My Filter The Right Way?

stuhyde · Aug 12, 2009

Got 2 tanks, one 3ft established for 2 years with a Tetratec EX700, and a 5ft that I will be moving the fish into with a Tetratec EX1200.

I know its probably best to run the 2 side by side for a few months, but I have decided to just steal the good media out of the 700 and swap with some out the 1200.

Is there anything else I can do? Ive heard about getting some of that hard foam stuff and putting over the water intake pipe for a few weeks and then squeeze/leave in the new tank for a bit.

Anything else?

Tank is massively understocked, so not worried about the adequacy of the EX1200 at this point..

Any pointers greatfully received ..

Will also be using as much water as possible from the old tank as well..

:good:

helterskelter · Aug 12, 2009

Do 50% water changed from the old tank but put the water in the new tank. (repeat this several time in 10 days)

Add some media from the the old filter (not all the media) to the new filter. should be safe to start adding fish after 14 days

If you moving all the fish over then introduce 4-5 at a time for 4-5 days then add a few more until stocked.

Tropical_Fish · Aug 12, 2009

What are the reasons behind that helterskelter, you know a lot more about this than me but just thinking logically - I would have thought that basically what the OP posted would be the simplest and most stable way?

Am I missing something?

My suggestion would have been:

Put fish in a bucket
Move over the substrate, decor and water to the new tank
Add temperature matched dechlorinated water (perhaps don't fill it right up)
Add fish
Move all media from old filter to new
Switch heater and filter on
Carry on as normal - few extra tests of the water to makes ure everything is OK

stuhyde · Aug 12, 2009

All the fish will be going in the new tank and the 3ft tank kit will be redundant.

Thanks for your replies both, will the bit of hard foam be necessary as essentially ALL of the old media from the 700 will be in the 1200?

helterskelter · Aug 12, 2009

I'm thinking of my way which would be to keep both tanks running

But if he's upgrading and removing the old tank then yes you could just move everything but running both filters to allow the new one to mature with out a mini cycle

Harlequins · Aug 12, 2009

When i recently ungraded my tank from a 20 gal to 48 gal i just moved the mature media from the 2 internal filters and put it into my tetratec ex700,from memory the ex1200 has extra media has opposed to the ex700,if you're not intending on using your 700,then its probably just has easy to transfer all media to the new 1200?!

Touch wood,since i put mature media into my 700,i've had no spikes,and the bio load has remained the same