Upgrading filters - Marine land penguin 200

I've got a twenty gallon tank and am about to upgrade filters I'm interested in the Marine land penguin 200 because it comes with two media slots can I put my filter cartridge from my Top fin 20 power filter in one of the media slots and a Penguin right size c cartridge in the other for a while to build up BB and then replace the Top fin filter with another Penguin right size c cartridge, and if so when would I change cartridges? TexasDomer if anybody could recommend a way to not break my cycle I'd appreciate the advice.

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That sounds like a good idea! Make sure you leave the old media for 3-4 weeks.

Rather than the cartridges, I'd use different media. I use polyfill (mechanical) and ceramic rings (bio) in mine.

 

That sounds like a good idea! Make sure you leave the old media for 3-4 weeks.

Rather than the cartridges, I'd use different media. I use polyfill (mechanical) and ceramic rings (bio) in mine.

Aren't the cartridges polyfill (mechanical) media @TesasDomer?

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They're similar. I just don't like the cartridges themselves. They have carbon in them (can remove medication from the water), and the plastic part takes up a lot of room.

 

They're similar. I just don't like the cartridges themselves. They have carbon in them (can remove medication from the water), and the plastic part takes up a lot of room.

How do you make polyfill (mechanical) media?

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You don't make it you buy it. Go look in the sewing section for something called batting. My petco is actually selling a big bag of it renamed to filter media for 3.50. They also sell filter floss for a few bucks for a tiny rectangle. It's all the same stuff but generally the quilting shops will sell a big bag for far cheaper than anything labeled filter floss.

 

You don't make it you buy it. Go look in the sewing section for something called batting. My petco is actually selling a big bag of it renamed to filter media for 3.50. They also sell filter floss for a few bucks for a tiny rectangle. It's all the same stuff but generally the quilting shops will sell a big bag for far cheaper than anything labeled filter floss.

OK my Walmart has it then I went on their website and it tells me what the Walmart near me has in stock I've located the batting thanks.

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Actually would it he a good idea to run both FILTERS for a while instead of just moving my media,I have room for both filters in my hood I believe? Would that be better until the media in the penguin 200 gets seeded TexasDomer?

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I don't think you need to run both if you don't want to. You can add the old media to one side of the filter and new mechanical and biological media in the other side. I personally like polyfill as a mech media and ceramic rings as a bio media, but the polyfill can serve as both if you don't want to get rings. After a month, you can replace your old TopFin media with new media.

 

Thing is I've heard so much about you not being able to over filter an aquarium I will have all their stuff I need to set up both filters until the penguin filter is seeded including bio and mechanical media CAN I combine them just for peace of mind?

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You can use both filters if you want.

 

You can use both filters if you want.

Well I tried using both filters and only the Marine land Penguin 200 Power filter that I bought today would fit so I put the filter cartridge from the top fin 20 power filter I had been using and also the top fin's Bio-plate with some mechanical media and are many Fluval bio rings in the media slots.

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Should be fine.