Cycling A New Filter

[EllieW]

Hi

Im going to swap my jewel internal filter with a Fluval 305 and i wondered what the best way to go about it was.

I was thinking of cutting the jewel sponges to fit and swapping the new sponges in the fluval with them. Also I read somewhere that its ok to fill one of the baskets with my gravel from the tank, is this ok to do?

Thanks in advance for your help

Ellie

 

[elisew]

Moving the sponges into the new filter from the old is an ideal way of changing filters. If you want to use the gravel, the best way of doing it so that it`s easily removable is to put the gravel inside a stocking (tied) and either put it inside the cannister OR leave it hanging inside the tank in front of the output pipe of the new filter for a few days.
Swapping sponges should be enough though

 

[Gvilleguy]

If your 305 is like my 205 - does it come with tall foam sponges that fill the left side of the canister? And then you have baskets stacking up the right side?

The general recommendation is to do mechanical filtration first, and then your biomedia second. So in my case I have the foam sponges, then I have 3 baskets:

Basket 1 = Fluval "pre-filter" cylinder pellets: these primarily act as mechanical filtration, according to the instructions. They change the direction of the water, slowing it down, and making the solid waste settle out. (I imagine they also grow bacteria)

Baskets 2 & 3: In these baskets I have Biomax ceramic rings specifically designed to grow bacteria, and also a different brand of small bio-pellets that are in mesh bags (I had them on hand and wanted to add more bio-capacity to the baskets).

In your case, I would keep the Fluval foam pieces designed to fit the left side, and then cut your existing sponges to fit in the baskets. Or are you planning to keep the Jewel filter running at the same time?

I'm not sure about gravel in the filter - someone else might have a comment on that.

EDIT...Elise already commented!!

 

[james_fish]

I'd run them together for a few weeks. Allow the 305 to build a small bacteria colony up, then in a few weeks add all the media and sponges to the 305.

James.

 

[EllieW]

Thanks everyone thats a great help.

I never thought about putting the sponges in the baskets. That would be much better to do that. Im planning to take out the internal filter soon as possible so wasnt planning on running them both but I can do if its better.

Also i have a basket of small white stones in my internal filter (dont know the technical term) thought maybe they could be tipped out into a basket too.

Do you think 2 sponges, gravel and the white stones in another would be enough bacteria to run without the internal one as well.

 

[Gvilleguy]

Yes - you should move whatever media you have into the new filter, assuming it all fits in the baskets. If you are able to transfer all of it, you should not need to run the old one.