Cycle Second Filter

[lfckopite]

Hi dos anyboby know if when i take my second filter out of main tank after 4 weeks of cycleing the sponge will my main filter still be able to cope with the extra work as the 2 filters have been sharing the work load my main filter is a fluval 205 with sponge biomax top basket ammonia remover middle basket and carbon lower basket thanks

 

[jwddboy]

Should be fine unless you have overstocked for that filter. There may be a slight ammonia build up for a small amount of time but that should be gone relatively quickly as long as the filter is working well.

 

[waterdrop]

Sounds like your main filter should bounce back in not too much time as the other poster says. Any time you take away a significant amount of biofiltration, you may get a mini-cycle, so you should be monitoring.

Do you have a special goal for the carbon and ammonia remover? Those are not usually used for long term normal filtration media.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[lfckopite]

Sounds like your main filter should bounce back in not too much time as the other poster says. Any time you take away a significant amount of biofiltration, you may get a mini-cycle, so you should be monitoring.

Do you have a special goal for the carbon and ammonia remover? Those are not usually used for long term normal filtration media.

~~waterdrop~~

Hi the carbon came with the filter and tank. I bought the ammonia remover because i thought it would be better than 2 baskets of biomax

 

[rabbut]

With ammonia remover in the tank, the new filter would have been able to take over immediately, as it is a chemical media that will have outcometed the existing bacteria colonie over the last few weeks, killing all benificial bacteria in your tank due to lack of food. Great you might now be thinking, I'll go turn off the old filter now. Sorry, but that bubble is about to be burst. Your tank is now reliant on this media, and when it is saturated with ammonia, you will get an ammonia spike that could potential wipe the tank Also, when medicating, this media has to be removed, as it will interfere with treatment In both situations, you will be left with filtration that cannot cope with the bio-load

Where does this leave you In short, in a very bad situation I assume the LFS sold you this media, as from what I remember it is not supplied with this filter

You need to remove this media from the new filter, then if you want to avoid a mini-cycle later, you also want to remove the old filter at this point also. Now you need to fish-in cycle the tank from scratch With luck, some of the old bacteria will still be presant, and this will only be a large mini-cycle that is over in a few days time Failing that, you are likely to have 4 weeks of realy had work ahead.

Take a look at [topic="224306"]this thread[/topic] for details on how to fish-in cycle. The good news is that with regular replacement you can put off the cycle untill you are ready, by keeping the media in untill you are ready. The longer you keep the media in though, the longer it will take to cycle the tank. Double edged sward so to speak

All the best of luck sorting this
Rabbut

Edit to add; Just seen you other post. Another box of biomax would have been the better option I'm afraid

 

[lfckopite]

With ammonia remover in the tank, the new filter would have been able to take over immediately, as it is a chemical media that will have outcometed the existing bacteria colonie over the last few weeks, killing all benificial bacteria in your tank due to lack of food. Great you might now be thinking, I'll go turn off the old filter now. Sorry, but that bubble is about to be burst. Your tank is now reliant on this media, and when it is saturated with ammonia, you will get an ammonia spike that could potential wipe the tank Also, when medicating, this media has to be removed, as it will interfere with treatment In both situations, you will be left with filtration that cannot cope with the bio-load

Where does this leave you In short, in a very bad situation I assume the LFS sold you this media, as from what I remember it is not supplied with this filter

You need to remove this media from the new filter, then if you want to avoid a mini-cycle later, you also want to remove the old filter at this point also. Now you need to fish-in cycle the tank from scratch With luck, some of the old bacteria will still be presant, and this will only be a large mini-cycle that is over in a few days time Failing that, you are likely to have 4 weeks of realy had work ahead.

Take a look at [topic="224306"]this thread[/topic] for details on how to fish-in cycle. The good news is that with regular replacement you can put off the cycle untill you are ready, by keeping the media in untill you are ready. The longer you keep the media in though, the longer it will take to cycle the tank. Double edged sward so to speak

All the best of luck sorting this
Rabbut

Edit to add; Just seen you other post. Another box of biomax would have been the better option I'm afraid

WOOW were did that come from the old filter is were the media is The new filter is just a cheap one with 1 round sponge which i was cycling for a hospital tank when needed P.s i only put the ammonia remover in yesterday and still have the biomax can i just swap them over again? thanks

 

[rabbut]

Yes, get the ammonia remover swapped out, but stach it for the QT tank. Avoid running ammonia remover on a premanant set-up. I think I may have miss read something here from your responce. Give me a couple of minuites and I may be back....

 

[rabbut]

Yes, miss read

Get the ammonia remover out of the main tank ASAP, as it will interfere with the nitrogen cycle. If it has only been in there for less than a day I doubt it will have done any damage. I would stash it somewhere for possible use in a hospital or quarrenteen tank later. Get the good old Bio-max back in it's place. This is a better set-up that is cheaper to run long-term

Yes, just take the new filter out, the main filter should have a higher flow, thus will hold more than 50% of the bacteria anyway, so it sohould not caurse issues. Unless you are using the QT tank soon, or is you are just using to QT new fish, keep the sponge in the existing filter untill needed. This keeps it cycled untill required, when you simply move it out of the 205 and into the QT tanks filter, instantly cycling it. This process in known as cloning.

Appologies about caursing the panic above. Al least you now know that the ammonia remover will caurse long-term issues here now, and can remove it before it caurses any harm

All the best
Rabbut

 

[lfckopite]

Yes, miss read

Get the ammonia remover out of the main tank ASAP, as it will interfere with the nitrogen cycle. If it has only been in there for less than a day I doubt it will have done any damage. I would stash it somewhere for possible use in a hospital or quarrenteen tank later. Get the good old Bio-max back in it's place. This is a better set-up that is cheaper to run long-term

Yes, just take the new filter out, the main filter should have a higher flow, thus will hold more than 50% of the bacteria anyway, so it sohould not caurse issues. Unless you are using the QT tank soon, or is you are just using to QT new fish, keep the sponge in the existing filter untill needed. This keeps it cycled untill required, when you simply move it out of the 205 and into the QT tanks filter, instantly cycling it. This process in known as cloning.

Appologies about caursing the panic above. Al least you now know that the ammonia remover will caurse long-term issues here now, and can remove it before it caurses any harm

All the best
Rabbut

THANKS very much my heart is still racing Ha Ha will the biomax which i took out still be allright to put back in i stord it in a plastic bag cheers

 

[rabbut]

THANKS very much my heart is still racing Ha Ha will the biomax which i took out still be allright to put back in i stord it in a plastic bag cheers

The bacteria on it will have died by now unfortunately, but it is still useable Just be careful about cleaning the filter unnessisarily over the next few weeks, as this may caurse issues. You are basicaly relying on the other box of biomax for bio filtration untill this second box regains it's colonie

All the best
Rabbut

 

[lfckopite]

THANKS very much my heart is still racing Ha Ha will the biomax which i took out still be allright to put back in i stord it in a plastic bag cheers

The bacteria on it will have died by now unfortunately, but it is still useable Just be careful about cleaning the filter unnessisarily over the next few weeks, as this may caurse issues. You are basicaly relying on the other box of biomax for bio filtration untill this second box regains it's colonie

All the best
Rabbut

OK thank i was only trying to make things better but sure have learnt my lesson wot about the carbon is this ideal

 

[rabbut]

Depends what it is used for... Carbon is useful for removing medications and tannins from the water, but needs regular replacement to remain active. In most cases it is neither needed or cost effective to run

You call
Rabbut

 

[lfckopite]

Depends what it is used for... Carbon is useful for removing medications and tannins from the water, but needs regular replacement to remain active. In most cases it is neither needed or cost effective to run

You call
Rabbut

I have a 180l comm tank i have never used medication on this tank {touch wood} so is there anything better and lasted longer to put in lower basket