Two Filters Or Not.

[Ch4rlie]

Cut the sponge so it fits into the new filter. Put it on top or together with the new sponge media so that the bb spreads over to the new media as well.

The bb will eventually take over the new media.

So when you do maintenances on your new filter in future, just take out a section or two of old cut up media every time you do maintenance until you’re eventually left with just the new media that will then be covered in bb.

It might take maybe 3 or 4 maintenance cleans in taking only a few smallish bits of old media to be left with just the new media.

Or just leave them all in the filter, entirely up to you.

Floating the media in the tank does work to a certain extent but unsightly and takes longer for media to establish in the new filter imho.

 

[Metta]

Cut the sponge so it fits into the new filter. Put it on top or together with the new sponge media so that the bb spreads over to the new media as well.

The bb will eventually take over the new media.

So when you do maintenances on your new filter in future, just take out a section or two of old cut up media every time you do maintenance until you’re eventually left with just the new media that will then be covered in bb.

It might take maybe 3 or 4 maintenance cleans in taking only a few smallish bits of old media to be left with just the new media.

Or just leave them all in the filter, entirely up to you.

Floating the media in the tank does work to a certain extent but unsightly and takes longer for media to establish in the new filter imho.

Thanks so much! Would I need to add all the filter media from my old filter or will 3/4 be enough? I will also review the 307 for you all. Does the media have to sit in the buckets/filter media holders?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thanks so much! Would I need to add all the filter media from my old filter or will 3/4 be enough? I will also review the 307 for you all. Does the media have to sit in the buckets/filter media holders?

All of it, everything you have from the old filter to the new filter. The more established media you add, the less of a mini cycle you will get.

Try and get the media to fit into the trays/holders the 307 comes with to keep it all in nice order, well that’s what I’d do anyway. I am a bit ocd when it comes to stuff like that

 

[Metta]

All of it, everything you have from the old filter to the new filter. The more established media you add, the less of a mini cycle you will get.

Try and get the media to fit into the trays/holders the 307 comes with to keep it all in nice order, well that’s what I’d do anyway. I am a bit ocd when it comes to stuff like that

No problem at all so I can remove any new media to replace with old is that correct? And cut it to fit.

It also does not matter what way I put the media like the different colour sponges just basically get it all in there!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Best to leave the new sponge media in there and put the old sponge media onto top on or on sides, cram it in somehow. Then start taking the old media out one by one when doing filter maintenances and you’ll be eventually left with just the newer media if that make sense.

But with the ceramic noodles or bio balls etc just add all the old media in and top up with new similar media until trays / holders are filled nicely and then leave well alone, don’t take any of that old media out.

 

[Metta]

Best to leave the new sponge media in there and put the old sponge media onto top on or on sides, cram it in somehow. Then start taking the old media out one by one when doing filter maintenances and you’ll be eventually left with just the newer media if that make sense.

But with the ceramic noodles or bio balls etc just add all the old media in and top up with new similar media until trays / holders are filled nicely and then leave well alone, don’t take any of that old media out.

Awesome! Wish me luck! Would you test daily? Just to mention I am adding 100L of my old water too! I’ve got about 180L in the new tank now and popped heater on running a internal filter to clear the sand which will be removed tomorrow before completed the change over. plants in root tabs And liquid C02

 

[Ch4rlie]

Don’t bother adding old tank water, does nothing at all, bb is not free floating at all, all you’re doing with old tank water is just adding in fish poop, ammonia and nitrate to the new tank is all!

Fresh dechlorinated water at the right temp is the best you can do for your livestock. Like a nice refreshing clean bath for them.

Would test at roughly same time daily for the first week just to make sure all is good, and do water changes if see ammonia at 0.25ppm or above and nitrate at 0.5ppm or above. And you can of course test as many times as you feel like, but once or twice a day is enough otherwise a bit of a waste IMO.

 

[Metta]

Don’t bother adding old tank water, does nothing at all, bb is not free floating at all, all you’re doing with old tank water is just adding in fish poop, ammonia and nitrate to the new tank is all!

Fresh dechlorinated water at the right temp is the best you can do for your livestock. Like a nice refreshing clean bath for them.

Would test at roughly same time daily for the first week just to make sure all is good, and do water changes if see ammonia at 0.25ppm or above and nitrate at 0.5ppm or above. And you can of course test as many times as you feel like, but once or twice a day is enough otherwise a bit of a waste IMO.

Well fish are in temp is at 26. Water is full and plants have been planted, I only lost 1/4 of a foam pad from my old external so basically all the media is in the new filter and running very silent. Still very cloudy but that’s expected. Fingers crossed the mini cycle goes well.
So far so good! I put the fish in bags to climates so I hope nothing dies.

 

[Gypsum]

I have a Fluval 240 permanently running a 307 and a U4. When I upgraded it from a 125, I added as much of the old media as I could (the 307 had been running in the 125) and did daily water changes for about a week.

 

[Metta]

I have a Fluval 240 permanently running a 307 and a U4. When I upgraded it from a 125, I added as much of the old media as I could (the 307 had been running in the 125) and did daily water changes for about a week.

Why do you run the U4 and the 307? Did you get any spike?

 

[Metta]

Little image of it completed for now. Just waiting for the sand particles to clear.
Thanks everyone!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Nice setup

 

[Metta]

Nice setup

More rocks, and plants if you have any ideas maybe some grass around the rocks

 

[Ch4rlie]

Grass is one of those plants that tend to be higher tech, meaning they usually require C02, ferts and higher than standard lighting.

Easy to care for plants that don’t have high demands tend to be along lines of
elodea/anarcharis, vallisernia, sessiflora, cryptocorynes, anubias, java fern and java mosses are all popular choices.

There are quite a few varieties of most of the above named plants so you can have different colours and sizes etc

The addition of liquid fert and root tabs will help your plant growth but is not always essential but will help.

The tall plants at back corners and on rocks in your tank look like a variety of anubias ?

And what looks like a bacopa type plant in front left corner?

 

[Metta]

Grass is one of those plants that tend to be higher tech, meaning they usually require C02, ferts and higher than standard lighting.

Easy to care for plants that don’t have high demands tend to be along lines of
elodea/anarcharis, vallisernia, sessiflora, cryptocorynes, anubias, java fern and java mosses are all popular choices.

There are quite a few varieties of most of the above named plants so you can have different colours and sizes etc

The addition of liquid fert and root tabs will help your plant growth but is not always essential but will help.

The tall plants at back corners and on rocks in your tank look like a variety of anubias ?

And what looks like a bacopa type plant in front left corner?

The back two are amazon swords so I got told when I bought them. Anarch somthing they where called still learning their names. The bottom left one I’ve not got a clue but I liked it in the shop so went for it. Anubs is attached to the drift wood.

I have root tabs for the swords and the front left plant. I also add liquid C02 every other day. I’m thinking of some floating plants and some more background plants. Potentially I will get some moss too once everything has settled.