Will I Need To Do A Cycle?

[FWFishLover]

Hi Tff,
Well Today I am going out to the LPS (got $100 dolllars today ) and decided to buy a second filter to put in my already cycled tank to just keep it extra clean.
and the other filter is cycled so would i need to cycle the second one? its a aqueon power filter for my 20g
one i thing i was thinking about is putting media from the filter already cycled in there and doing biweekly water changes for a little while

 

[doresy]

Hi Tff,
Well Today I am going out to the LPS (got $100 dolllars today) and decided to buy a second filter to put in my already cycled tank to just keep it extra clean.
and the other filter is cycled so would i need to cycle the second one? its a aqueon power filter for my 20g
one i thing i was thinking about is putting media from the filter already cycled in there and doing biweekly water changes for a little while

Hi
Ok so you have a filter that is cycled and processing the waste from your current stock. You are introducing a new filter to run in tandem.....why?

 

[FWFishLover]

Hi Tff,
Well Today I am going out to the LPS (got $100 dolllars today) and decided to buy a second filter to put in my already cycled tank to just keep it extra clean.
and the other filter is cycled so would i need to cycle the second one? its a aqueon power filter for my 20g
one i thing i was thinking about is putting media from the filter already cycled in there and doing biweekly water changes for a little while

Hi
Ok so you have a filter that is cycled and processing the waste from your current stock. You are introducing a new filter to run in tandem.....why?

just to keep the water extra clean

 

[doresy]

The main job of a filter is to biologically 'clean' the water with bacteria. The amount of bacteria is directly related to the amount of fish in the tank. Having 2 filters will only mean that you will have the same quantity of bacteria only spread between the 2 filters so no real benefit there. Ok, so there is a degree of 'mechanical' filtration but if you need 2 filters to clear the water of particles then you have another problem.

 

[FWFishLover]

The main job of a filter is to biologically 'clean' the water with bacteria. The amount of bacteria is directly related to the amount of fish in the tank. Having 2 filters will only mean that you will have the same quantity of bacteria only spread between the 2 filters so no real benefit there. Ok, so there is a degree of 'mechanical' filtration but if you need 2 filters to clear the water of particles then you have another problem.

so in other words:
no do not buy a second filter it will cause a problem and is a waste of money

 

[K-Holed]

I guess the questions would be:

What size is your tank? (volume and dimentions)
What stock do you have in there?
What filter are you currently running?

 

[erk628]

Only being a 20 gallon you really only need one filter. If you think you need two because the first ones not getting the job done then that filter is to small. When I buy filters I never buy one thats recommended for that size tank because by itself its not gonna get the job done unless you have a very lightly stocked tank. Even if thats the case your gonna need a powerhead to help get the debris to the filter. So what I would do if I was you and I had a 20 gallon I would get a filter that was meant for a 55 gallon. But seeing how you already have a filter and if it is meant for a 20 gallon then another filter meant for a 20 gallon will do.

Now going by what dropsey said this is were I disagree with him I feel if a tank is 4 foot or bigger then 1 HOB filter is not going to cut it only exception I can see is a AC 110. But still I feel it would be better to have two HOB's one on each side unless you had powerheads or something to help get the debris to the filter. When I set up a 55 for example I would go with two emperor 400's or two filters meant for a 55 gallon each or more unless your going to use powerheads or you simply like debris laying on the bottom of the opposite end of the tank from the filter.

 

[FWFishLover]

well doresy kinda told me to just not do it so i think i wont then
hey everybody i have a post in corydoras that i probably should have posted in emergencies can you all please check it.
Its about my tiny little albino who got a bloodworm stuck in his gil can you go and reply to it over there please!!

 

[erk628]

What filter do you have on your tank right now?

 

[FWFishLover]

What filter do you have on your tank right now?

aqueon power filter.
but i decided i wont get a new one.

 

[erk628]

What size like what size tank is it recommend for. Theres really no downsides what so ever to having two filters on one tank regardless what size it is. Only time you wouldn't want to do it is if it caused to much water circulating that it was causing the fish to be stressed out because of the whirlpool effect or current.

 

[FWFishLover]

What size like what size tank is it recommend for. Theres really no downsides what so ever to having two filters on one tank regardless what size it is. Only time you wouldn't want to do it is if it caused to much water circulating that it was causing the fish to be stressed out because of the whirlpool effect or current.

its for 5-20 gallons i guess.
it came in my aqueon deluxe 20g kit.
and cant it end up killing all the bacteria and then all my fish would die due to no bacteria in the tank

 

[K-Holed]

It won't kill your current bacteria, no. A second filter won't do any harm, but may not be needed. All you'll be doing is spreading your bacteria between the two filters. a second filter can be useful if your current filter is somewhat underpowered or if you have a large tank that could use the extra circulation.

 

[erk628]

If thats the case I would suggest either buying a a bigger filter one ment for a 55 or buying a second filter like one ment for a 20 or 30 gallon or buy a small powrhead with the corys though you might get by with what you have. If you do decide to go the route of using just one filter a bigger one ment for a 55 then just take the filter media from the one your using and stuff it in the new one. If you go the route with using two filters then just put the second one on the other side on the back. Why would it kill your bacteria its still gonna be there in the orginal filter.
If you do decide on just one bigger filter and stuff the filter media from the orginal filter in it you may experience a miny-cycle like I'm going through right now on my 30 gallon. My filter crapped out on me so I had to get a new one and I stuffed te old media in the new one but still caused a miny-cycle.
Why are you thinking about a second filter does your tank seem dirty to you?

If your stats are good and your substrate looks good like debris not laying around and a bunch of stuff floating around then what you have will do fine. If you do have debris floating around all the time and always laying on the substrate then something got to be done.