Just Installed External Filter - Running Internal Along Side It For No

[UKSPEED]

So I've just installed my new external filter. I put one piece of media in it from my internal. I was planning on having both the filters running for 4 weeks to allow the external to establish, and then remove the internal.

Does this sound about right? Or would anyone advise different?

 

[deftuch]

So I've just installed my new external filter. I put one piece of media in it from my internal. I was planning on having both the filters running for 4 weeks to allow the external to establish, and then remove the internal.

Does this sound about right? Or would anyone advise different?

that sounds like a good idea. start removing the media from the internal filter each week. split it into 4 equal amounts or whatvever is easyiest. 90 percent of your biological life lives in that filter. the aim is to get them to move home. dont rush it

 

[shepherd88]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

 

[deftuch]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

 

[basboi85]

Im running 2 externals and a internal and im getting a max turnover off 3900lph

I would run both as you cant have too much filtraition as your fishes will love you for it

 

[Mikey1]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

there is probably less than 1% of your bacteria living in the filter itself (not the media), so that would be nothing to worry about.....i would do as suggested and put all the media in the new filter (or as much as you can fit) and shut down the old one.....

 

[deftuch]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

there is probably less than 1% of your bacteria living in the filter itself (not the media), so that would be nothing to worry about.....i would do as suggested and put all the media in the new filter (or as much as you can fit) and shut down the old one.....

actually no. research has proven this isnt the case! they live on the vents that the water is pulled through. on the impeller. infact. theres a little bit almost everywhere there is a water movement. a little more than 1 percent. better to be safe than sorry

 

[Mikey1]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

there is probably less than 1% of your bacteria living in the filter itself (not the media), so that would be nothing to worry about.....i would do as suggested and put all the media in the new filter (or as much as you can fit) and shut down the old one.....

actually no. research has proven this isnt the case! they live on the vents that the water is pulled through. on the impeller. infact. theres a little bit almost everywhere there is a water movement. a little more than 1 percent. better to be safe than sorry

if that was true your entire tank surfaces should be covered in bacteria?

you have lots to learn

the amount of bacteria living on the surfaces of your tank, and the surfaces of the filter compared to the amount in the filter media itself is next to nothing.....your worrying about nothing

 

[deftuch]

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

there is probably less than 1% of your bacteria living in the filter itself (not the media), so that would be nothing to worry about.....i would do as suggested and put all the media in the new filter (or as much as you can fit) and shut down the old one.....

actually no. research has proven this isnt the case! they live on the vents that the water is pulled through. on the impeller. infact. theres a little bit almost everywhere there is a water movement. a little more than 1 percent. better to be safe than sorry

if that was true your entire tank surfaces should be covered in bacteria?

you have lots to learn

the amount of bacteria living on the surfaces of your tank, and the surfaces of the filter compared to the amount in the filter media itself is next to nothing.....your worrying about nothing

bacteria does live everywhere in the tank. but that amount is a very small. i give advice taking everything into account. we dont know if this guy has a cycled tank or is pre cycling. if his tank has only just cycled. what his bio load is. the advice i gave wasnt wrong. may not be needed in your opinion. but not wrong

 

[UKSPEED]

Im running 2 externals and a internal and im getting a max turnover off 3900lph

I would run both as you cant have too much filtraition as your fishes will love you for it

But the idea is to replace the internal as it is a pain in the backside lol

I think im right in saying if you put all the existing media from your internal then its ok just to remove it completly...thats how i did mine....although 2 filters is better than one lol

true but depends on the bio load. some bacteria will be lost. the kind that lives in the filter but not on the media. if your bio load is pretty much at max there can be spikes and problems

there is probably less than 1% of your bacteria living in the filter itself (not the media), so that would be nothing to worry about.....i would do as suggested and put all the media in the new filter (or as much as you can fit) and shut down the old one.....

I think that is bad advice in my opinion. I did this when I previously changed internals and it ended in a 4 day mini cycle losing one oft fish and doing 80% water changes every day! So I think I will stick to my plan. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

[Mikey1]

I think that is bad advice in my opinion. I did this when I previously changed internals and it ended in a 4 day mini cycle losing one oft fish and doing 80% water changes every day! So I think I will stick to my plan. Thanks for everyone's advice.

if you already had a plan and already made your mind up, then what are you asking advice for?

 

[TRAGICTRAMP]

personally i would ditch the internal and swap all the media in one go, as long as you dont thrash the old stuff, it should be fine.

 

[UKSPEED]

I think that is bad advice in my opinion. I did this when I previously changed internals and it ended in a 4 day mini cycle losing one oft fish and doing 80% water changes every day! So I think I will stick to my plan. Thanks for everyone's advice.

if you already had a plan and already made your mind up, then what are you asking advice for?

Because its nice to have thoughts from others

 

[snazy]

The good bacteria likes the water to go constantly "through" the surfaces it has attached itself to, as it needs to get regular supply of ammonia and oxygen which is what it feeds on, so the filter media and filter surfaces will have more bacteria grown on them than the substrate or other decorations inside the tank. So it's quite possible that the filter itself inside along with the filter sponges/media all have bacteria attached.

As someone else suggested, I'd either run the two filters forever as an overfiltered tank is almost impossible to suffer any ammonia spikes, mini or maxi which will prevent any sudden issues and disease outbreaks and also a back up in case one filter fails. The higher flow will pickup the decaying organics instead of them hanging around in or on the substrate, so healthier fish too, less risks of sicknesses.
But if you need to remove the internal eventually, treat the external as an uncycled filter. The bacteria won't just decide to travel from one filter the other to check out the new equipment you've bought for it, no matter how long you run the external alongside the internal. 4 weeks is not enough anyway, you may end up with an uncycled filter as you don't know in which filter the bacteria will prefer to grow and in most cases it stays in the original filter. The amount of bacteria in a tank is just the necessary amount to deal with the current bioload so I doubt it much of it will grow in the external since it's already established itself somewhere else. The best way if you intend removing the internal, is to put all it's cycled media into the external filter and to prepare for a mini spike which may or may not happen. Otherwise you may end up with a completely uncycled tank rather than a mini 4 day spike.
If you are afraid that the filter itself inside has bacteria on the surfaces you may lose that way, give the plastics/impeller a good wash outside the tank without touching the media, leave it for a weak or two to allow the loss to grow somewhere else, hopefully in your external, then get all the media out from the internal and put it into the external at once and take out the internal then.
Another way to speed up the process of transfer would be to wash the internal filter sponges inside the tank itself. It will cause no harm to the fish(they love to eat the floating bits and microorganisms that it contains). Then the external filter will pick up the floating gunk and the disturbed bacteria with it, and if you are lucky, a lot of it may settle into the external filter instead. Your water should clear up in no time with two filters gowing so don't worry about the mess. But leave the two filters for as long as possible, 8 weeks the minimum.

 

[UKSPEED]

Snazy thanks great advice