Fluval 305

[fishbone]

Okay, I picked up a good deal on a fluval 305 external filter the other day to replace my built in juwel filter. My question is, do I run it with the internal for a month or so so help establish bacteria or remove the carbon filter packs and replace them with the mature filter media from the internal filter?
If I put the mature filter media in the new filter am I going to have problems with ammonia/nitrite spikes, or will it carry on as if it were still in the internal filter ie not kill off the good bacteria when I swap the media over?
Also, do I have to use the carbon filter media at all, or can I just remove it?
One more question, would it be a good idea to place some normal filter floss in the top layer or do I have to go and buy the fluval water polisher pads?

I hope that all makes sense. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
(mrs)fishbone

 

[bullhead]

Just hook up the fluval and let it run for about a week and then remove the juwel or what ever your gonna do with it,This should be enough time for the new filter to colonize.Get rid of the carbon,add the floss.did it come with those ceramic rings?if not u might want to get some of those too.THe way I have mine set up is -bottom-ceramic ring both sides,middle-floss both sides,top-purigen 100ml both sides.The vertical trays,I use the fluval pads,btu you can use floss for those too,they tend not to stay standing thou.

 

[iairj84]

You can choose to either leave both filters in for at least 2 weeks IMO, or just transfer the media... You could use all of the media in one of the baskets in the fluval and your regular media in the other baskets. It shouldn't have much if any cycle at all.... You will have NO cycle if you properly "Clone" the filters by leaving them in there for 2 weeks.

 

[bullhead]

You can choose to either leave both filters in for at least 2 weeks IMO, or just transfer the media... You could use all of the media in one of the baskets in the fluval and your regular media in the other baskets. It shouldn't have much if any cycle at all.... You will have NO cycle if you properly "Clone" the filters by leaving them in there for 2 weeks.

You think it will take that long?The new fiter should colonize quickly on an established tank and shouldnt cycle at all.Its just colonizing a "new area" not the entire tank.

 

[iairj84]

There's also a ton of new media in there. He could always have both running for a week and then throw the old media in the filter bin then for sure it would be cycled.. To be honest that's what I'm doing at this very moment... Although it will be a different tank I will swap some sponges.

 

[fishbone]

,top-purigen 100ml both sides.

What's purigen and what benifits does it offer?

I think I'll ditch the carbon and fill the botom basket with my mature media, middle with ceramic rings, top with filter floss, side with the sponge the filter came with.
Does that sound okay?

 

[kuhliloacher]

Does your old filter have a sponge or foam pad? If so just put that in the same tray as your Bio-Max. Don't rinse it. I just set up my 305 last weekend with Fluval pre-filter media on the bottom tray with filter floss over that. On the middle tray I put 2 units of Chemi-Pure covered with filter floss. On the top level I filled one side completely full of Bio-Max and cut up my sponge from my old filter and filled the other side, with filter floss over that. That way there is 2 stages of mechanical filtration (not counting the filter floss), one stage of chemical filtration, and one stage of bio filtration. I researched alot of suggestions before deciding on this configuration. It works excellent, with no changes in my water conditions, except for exceptional clearness

 

[fishbone]

Thank you all for your replies. I'm off to rinse the media that came with the filter and start dimantaling the internal to transfer media to external.

 

[bullhead]

,top-purigen 100ml both sides.

What's purigen and what benifits does it offer?

I think I'll ditch the carbon and fill the botom basket with my mature media, middle with ceramic rings, top with filter floss, side with the sponge the filter came with.
Does that sound okay?

this tells you .......http/www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html.....I love this stuff,been using it for about 5 yrs on 1 tank and 4 on another.

 

[fishbone]

[/quote]
this tells you .......http/www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html.....I love this stuff,been using it for about 5 yrs on 1 tank and 4 on another.
[/quote]

That stuff looks good, I'm not sure I like the idea of soaking it in bleach though. Have you ever had any problems with renewing it? Is it just a case of rinse, rinse and rinse again?

 

[bullhead]

No problems,I renew it about ever 6 months or so.I follow the instructions to a "T".You do need a very fine micron media bag to put it in thou,which I also get from seachem.Do not bleach the bag,it will disinegrate after a few times.I have pulled a bag out of my filter that was just as black and muddy lookin as anything I've seen before,put it through the renewing process a couple of times and it was like I just pulled it out of the can it came in.I use it in 2 canisters ,a h.o.b and an internal filter and wont use anything else as long as it still on the market.