How Long To Clone Filter?

[Rezatii]

Getting my next betta tank this afternoon and I had planned to 'clone' my filter by running itin my trop.community(125l) for about a week. Is this long enough to establish enough media to house 3 bettas?(Obviously, they will be in a divided tank, 5g each)

Any tips on how long to run new filter in other tank would be great

-Rezz

 

[holidayinn]

Make sure to check water parameters, when you do start up the new tank with new stock. I think thats the only way you'll know for sure.

 

[lilacamy931]

Two weeks would be better to be on the safe side, though bettas do have a small bio-load. Have you enough media to just fill the new filter which would mean more or less instant cycle?

 

[england]

yea agree with my b'mth friend's

 

[Rezatii]

Hmmmm, I could just fill the filter, but I don't really wanna risk a spike in my community tank so I think I'd rather just wait a while, lol

-Rezz

 

[-SPB-]

I've cloned a couple of filters in the past and I've always given the filters 4 weeks to be on the safe side.

Another way you could do it would be to put some mature media from the old filter into the new filter. Once you do this, you should (if all goes well), be able to put the new fish into the new tank. Obviously you would need to monitor the water parameters to make sure everything was going well. Also, this shouldn't affect the old filter, as there should be enough bacteria to cope.