New Used Filter - Can I Swap Straight Over?

[Narz]

Hey guys, just got a mates larger filter as it is bigger and has mature media filter.

My question - can I plug it in and put it in when there is fish in there and take out the small one? Or can they both run at the same time?

How long until I take the smaller one out if I have them both running at the same time?

Thanks

 

[demented pea]

Think of it as a new tank even with old media. The tank still needs time to get the bacteria to cover all its surfaces. Even if you don't run the small filter it still needs time. Sorry, its dead frustrating when all you want is your new fish. If you have established fish then run the two filters together for a week or so.
It will establish quicker with old filter stuff but every hour the old filter is not in the water(transportation time etc) the bacteria die off, can he give you some tank water too? That will help get going.
Hope that helps...

 

[CrazyAirborne]

if the larger filter has mature media, you should be able to take the old filter out, and have the new one "with mature media" running right away, and it should be fine.

i dont quite understand what demented pea is getting at, but as long as the filter ur placing in the tank has mature bacteria, and the same or more fish (than what u have) were keeping it alive in ur mates tank, their should be enough bacteria to pick up right where it left off.

but if it was out of water for any length of time, then u can be sure that most if not all the bacteria have died, and u no longer have 'mature media'

if this is the case, and ur small filter has mature media in it, move all ur media from ur small filter into the big one, and your bacteria colony will be fine and keep cleaning ur water.

 

[raptorrex]

if the larger filter has mature media, you should be able to take the old filter out, and have the new one "with mature media" running right away, and it should be fine.

i dont quite understand what demented pea is getting at, but as long as the filter ur placing in the tank has mature bacteria, and the same or more fish (than what u have) were keeping it alive in ur mates tank, their should be enough bacteria to pick up right where it left off.

no, me either! a Mature tank, is something that takes six month, sometimes more. its not, directly, connected to the maturity of the bio media. true, Maturity is the final part of a tank nitrogen cycle. but its more to do with stability, as opposed to direct ammonia consumption.

if possible, treat the your mates filter as if it were on a fishless cycle. add ammonia, if it goes within 12 hours, and you get nitrites. its safe to add fish. shouldn't take more then 24 hours to find that out.