Internal To External Filtration

[goose22]

i am thinking of changing my interpet pf3 extremly noisy internal filter to a fluval 206 external power filter (for tanks upto 120L), how do i do this, do i add external then run this for a period of time before removing internal one, the tank is an interped fish pod 120L

or do it another way advice sudgestions please, never had extrenal filter before

 

[Aquascaper]

Get the external filter, fill it with all the mature media from the internal (at the bottom) and fill the rest of the space with new media. Connect up and run.

 

[fluttermoth]

The best, and most reliable way of going about it is to take all the media from your internal and put it in the external, then fill in the gaps with new media.

If you just run the two filters in tandem, there is little incentive for the bacteria to colonise the new filter, as the old one will be dealing with all the fish's wastes already. Also, because the bacteria cling onto the media quite strongly, there won't be enough loose in the water to even get into the new filter.

Another advantage of doing it that way is that your old media stays cycled, so if you ever need to set up a quarantine or hospital tank in a hurry, you can just take the old media back out of the external, pop it back in the internal, and you have a cycled filter ready to go any time you need it

Of course, you could run the two filters in tandem, but you should still 'seed' the new filter with some old media, and you'd have to run both filters for at least six to eight weeks to build up enough bacteria in the new filter for you to able to remove the old one.

 

[phantomlink]

The best, and most reliable way of going about it is to take all the media from your internal and put it in the external, then fill in the gaps with new media.

If you just run the two filters in tandem, there is little incentive for the bacteria to colonise the new filter, as the old one will be dealing with all the fish's wastes already. Also, because the bacteria cling onto the media quite strongly, there won't be enough loose in the water to even get into the new filter.

Another advantage of doing it that way is that your old media stays cycled, so if you ever need to set up a quarantine or hospital tank in a hurry, you can just take the old media back out of the external, pop it back in the internal, and you have a cycled filter ready to go any time you need it

Of course, you could run the two filters in tandem, but you should still 'seed' the new filter with some old media, and you'd have to run both filters for at least six to eight weeks to build up enough bacteria in the new filter for you to able to remove the old one.

I have two Aquaclear 110's on my 125g tank and the other week I got an Eheim Classic 600 canister. I hooked it up and was going to wait a month or so for it to cycle before taking off one of the AC's but according to your post, I should go ahead and just remove the media and put it into the canister? What about the media already in the canister? If I put it aside and it dries out I know it kills the bacteria but could I store it for later use when I need to replace some of the media down the road? Or I could put it in my second hand Eheim I bought with another tank, they have rocks as media instead of the Ehfisubstrate.

Also.. are Biomax and Ehfisubstrate the same kind of media? If so I could mix them together if not then not sure what to do with my Biomax

 

[fluttermoth]

I have two Aquaclear 110's on my 125g tank and the other week I got an Eheim Classic 600 canister. I hooked it up and was going to wait a month or so for it to cycle before taking off one of the AC's but according to your post, I should go ahead and just remove the media and put it into the canister?

Yes, that's what I would do

What about the media already in the canister? If I put it aside and it dries out I know it kills the bacteria but could I store it for later use when I need to replace some of the media down the road?

Yes, of course.

Or I could put it in my second hand Eheim I bought with another tank, they have rocks as media instead of the Ehfisubstrate.

Also.. are Biomax and Ehfisubstrate the same kind of media? If so I could mix them together if not then not sure what to do with my Biomax

Yes, they are the same kind of media, although I think the Ehfisubstrat probably has more surface area so would be slightly better than the Biomax. It really doesn't matter what media you use in what filter, as long as it fits in and isn't packed so tightly that it restricts the flow.

 

[phantomlink]

Thanks, when I'm not in at work for overtime this week I'll sit down and do some filter media exchanges. Right now my 125g has probably like 8-10x flow rate in it, but when I remove the Aquaclears I'm going to fall down to about 2 or so ( 265gph for 125g ) I wonder if that will be enough or if I should get another 2217 and turn that number up to 4.25

 

[goose22]

cheers for the advice found one at yorkshire aquatics £65.99 free deliver orders over £39, anyone know of cheaper?

 

[goose22]

didnt know how to edit posts i said fluval 206 for upto 120L tank should of put upto 200L aquarium