When to remove old filter

[hurgerburger]

I just upgraded my 10 gallon fishtank with a goldfish, honey gourami, and 2 bristlenose plecos to a 20 gallon. I'm switching the filter from a small sponge filter to a Aquaclear 50, since it looks nicer and will catch the gunk better. Also, the 10 gallon couldn't go more than a week without a water change; the fish would get pretty lethargic right before water change day. I still have the sponge filter in; how long should I leave it there before I can be sure that the Aquaclear can handle the bioload? The sponge filter is pretty noisy and also a bit of an eyesore.

 

[GaryE]

Bad news - you will still need to put in a few minutes on a weekly water change. Goldfish intestines are structured in such a way that they are enormous waste producers. They are one of the most labour intensive fish out there, when kept indoors.

All tanks need a 25% a week water change, but tanks with goldies need 50%.

The AQ 50 is a good filter. I would have used a 70, but a 50 will do. I usually wait about a month to 6 weeks to let the filter be colonized. You have quite the bioload there, so be patient.

Your honey gourami is in a bad spot, as the goldie will push it around. Goldies like cooler water and honeys like warmth -also a problem.

 

[hurgerburger]

Bad news - you will still need to put in a few minutes on a weekly water change. Goldfish intestines are structured in such a way that they are enormous waste producers. They are one of the most labour intensive fish out there, when kept indoors.

All tanks need a 25% a week water change, but tanks with goldies need 50%.

The AQ 50 is a good filter. I would have used a 70, but a 50 will do. I usually wait about a month to 6 weeks to let the filter be colonized. You have quite the bioload there, so be patient.

Your honey gourami is in a bad spot, as the goldie will push it around. Goldies like cooler water and honeys like warmth -also a problem.

Ah don't worry still planning on doing water changes weekly, it's just nice to know they hopefully won't be looking all sad every sunday before their water change.

The Gourami and goldfish actually do surprisingly well together- the goldfish ignores her for the most part (except when she finds his pellets, though as a ranchu he isn't super coordinated so she just darts away and lets him eat them), and she likes to follow him around sometimes. They've never been aggressive towards each other. And the tank's at 73 degrees, which is in the temperature ranges for both of them. Also this is technically not my tank, I'm babysitting this tank for a friend who's studying abroad, I wouldn't have stocked the tank like this (wouldn't have gotten a goldfish for sure) but it is how it is. And it's much better than past stocking situations (there used to be 2 mollies, a dwarf gourami, and a yoyo loach in addition to the current fish all in the 10 gallon |-: )

Thanks!