How To Establish A New Filter

HI All,

I have bought a new Fluval 406 filter as I am upgrading from a 3ft to 4ft tank.

I was hoping to get your advice on how to establish the beneficial bacteria in the new filter. Would one way be to run both filters on the new tank for a couple of weeks? Would that allow the beneficial bacteria to grow in the new filter while the old filter looks after the water?

Thanks!

 

There isn't much beneficial bacteria in the water column, so running them at the same time wouldn't establish the Fluval, IMO.

Instead, I would:

1. Get all or some (make sure it's enough) media from the old filter and place it next to the new media in your new filter.
2. Wait 4 weeks for the BB from the old media to seed into the new media.
3. After 4 weeks has past, remove the old media or keep it in as extra media for an emergency tank, QT, etc.

I would do it this way.

 

You could run both pumps in the new tank, but you will likely have a minI cycle when you pull the old filter out. The beneficial bacteria will naturally die off if there is insufficient food for them to eat. In simple terms the bacteria will relative spread evenly between the two filters, so when you pull one out you will be taken roughly half the BB with it. The minI cycle should be short, and if you watch your water parameters closely you should have no issues. Just do water changes if you see small spikes.

 

If you aren’t keeping the old tank, I would just remove the filter media from the old filter, put it in the new filter, along with new media, and you should have an instantly cycled new tank. This works very well when using reuseable filter media, instead of the cartridges. I highly recommend ditching cartridges if you haven’t already.

After a couple of weeks (3-4) you can remove the old media, and replace it with new stuff if you want.

You can run both filters side by side for 3-4 weeks and it will accomplish the same thing. Your new filter will grow bacteria, just by being exposed to the cycled tank. Lots of people do it that way, and are very successful at it. Like Tank Time said, you may have a bit of a mini-cycle when you remove the old filter though. But it should recover very quickly. Just a few days. Using Seachem Prime can protect your fish if that does happen, along with water changes.

 

Thanks so much, yet again you guys have been great.

I'll try putting the old media in the new filter and see how that goes.

AllieSten, this may be a silly question, but when you say 'cartridges' what are you referring to?

 

Thanks so much, yet again you guys have been great.

I'll try putting the old media in the new filter and see how that goes.

AllieSten, this may be a silly question, but when you say 'cartridges' what are you referring to?

In some filters, they come with a disposable plastic frame, covered with white cotton, and carbon inside. It is placed inside the filter, and is removable. They are called filter cartridges or bio bags. The manufacturer recommend changing them once per month, and it is basically a rip-off. If you change them once per month, you destroy your cycle once a month, and it doesn’t even work very well to keep your tank clean. Reuseable media is much more efficient. Plus you can use it for years, and it saves money in the long run.

Definitely not a silly question at all.

 

In some filters, they come with a disposable plastic frame, covered with white cotton, and carbon inside. It is placed inside the filter, and is removable. They are called filter cartridges or bio bags. The manufacturer recommend changing them once per month, and it is basically a rip-off. If you change them once per month, you destroy your cycle once a month, and it doesn’t even work very well to keep your tank clean. Reuseable media is much more efficient. Plus you can use it for years, and it saves money in the long run.

Definitely not a silly question at all.

I believe the Fluval 406 is a canister. No cartridges there haha.

 

I believe the Fluval 406 is a canister. No cartridges there haha.

Doh! You are totally right. Haha