Filter Bacteria

[fatboybaby]

hi guys

in my 55l/14gal juwel rekord 60 i've had 2 filters running concurrently for ages, the built in one and also a fluval 1. but i recently moved some harlequin rasbora in and they didn't look very happy. i figured it might be because of the opposite currents being caused so i switched off the fluval 1, added a small airstone and they look much much happier.

i was just wondering, if i leave the fluval 1 in the tank but switched off, will i be able to retain the bacteria in there in case i happen to need a cycled filter for a hospital tank or something?

 

[smooth_bourbon]

Is the filter media, actually down in the tank? It needs to have tank water to stay alive. Just sitting in stale water such as my penguin would be turned off, wont be exsposing it to ammonia. Sorry if that sounds like jibberish I am clueless when it comes to juwel aquariums

 

[fatboybaby]

sorry yes, it is in the tank, it just isn't switched on so there is no water being pulled through

 

[smooth_bourbon]

I just re read and realised its an internal filter not the juwel one you are talking about. IMO yes some of the bacteria would stay alive. Heck it cant hurt just in case of a fishie emergency.

 

[rdd1952]

The bacteria will die off slowly as there isn't any water flow through the filter to give the bacteria food supply. It would be good if you could turn it on daily for 15 minutes or so to push some water through. Even at that, the bacteria will eventually die off. I don't know if that will be in a week or a month though.

 

[trace1]

by saying opposite currants, do you mean that the filters are on opposite end of the tank from each other ??
if so can you not put them at the same end together thats how i have mine running. that way you will be able to keep them both ok, i have a fluval3 & 2 running in my tank at the moment but they are next to each other,

 

[fatboybaby]

hmm, good point i guess but i'm not sure whether there is space to put the fluval 1 next to the internal box filter. tbh now i have stripped my tank down so thoroughly there is probably no need for additional filtration as i'm not overstocked or anything.

might keep an eye on the stats for a few weeks and see