Upgrading HOB filter tips and suggestions

[philly27]

I'm upgrading my top fin 75 HOB filter as its been a few years and kind of disappointed with the GPH it spits out. I purchased the Seachem Tidal 110 to throw on my 55 gallon. My question is can I take my floss on my 2 cartridges and threw it in the new tidal filter and everything should be good to go? should i be safe and prime the new filter media in my old/current HOB? my top fin media cartridges have been cut open and all carbon has been removed. Thanks for the read and the help!

 

[Fishfur]

I'm upgrading my top fin 75 HOB filter as it’s been a few years and kind of disappointed with the GPH it spits out. I purchased the Seachem Tidal 110 to throw on my 55 gallon. My question is can I take my floss on my 2 cartridges and threw it in the new tidal filter and everything should be good to go? should i be safe and prime the new filter media in my old/current HOB? my top fin media cartridges have been cut open and all carbon has been removed. Thanks for the read and the help!

In this situation Id have done two things. One, I’d have planned to run both filters together for at least a month.

And i would also have squeezed/wrung/beaten up the existing filter media in as little water as possible. Then I’d pour the dirty rinse water into the new filter.

The new Tidal will get a jump start on growing its colonies if nitrifiers and the old filter running along with it ensures that the tank remains cycled while the Tidal is growing its colonies.

I would have left the carbon in the cartridges because even if it is exhausted, it still serves to provide surfaces for nitrifiers to grow on.

 

[Sewerrat]

I would just stuff the as much of the media as possible into the new filter. Test water for couple weeks in cade you get a mini cycle but should be fine.

 

[A201]

Save yourself some money and discard the filter cartridges. Stuff the filter box with ceramic media and sponges.
Rinse the ceramics & squeeze out the sponges once a month. Those media types last for years.