Second filter

[drjuzz]

Hi

Firstly, best wishes for the new year! hope everyone & their puffers have a great one!

I have been running two filters on my tank for a long time now, but i would like to replace the trickle filter or overflow filter with an new internal or external canister filter. (reason is, living in an open loft apartment, i am getting tired of the sound of running water, never thought it would happen .. but it has )

Will my big canister filter(already mature) keep the Ammonia & Nitrite under control in the tank if i remove the old filter and put the new one in?

If not, what is the best way to bring a second filter online in a mature tank without causing it to cycle?

Many thanks!

[Agnate]

Just add in your new canister filter and let it run on the same tank for about 3-4 weeks. At the 2-3 week mark, clean one of the two previous filters (like, clean out the sponge or whatever), but still leaving some of the media there that would have bacteria on it. This should cause your new filter to grow a little more bacteria to compensate. After the 3rd or so week, you should be able to remove one of your filters and see no cycle.

I'm sure there's a quicker way, but that's the safest and least hassle, if you ask me.

[Myaj]

That would definately be the "most safe" way to do it.

If you absolutely don't want to listen to the trickle filter any longer, you can swap them, but be sure you don't do any scrubbing of your glass or decor or too much gravel vaccuuming shortly before or after swapping the filters. If you put a dent in your bacteria living on the surfaces AND swap a filter, that might be too much.

What kind of media does your trickle filter have? If its a cartridge, it won't help you much. If it has biomedia, just take that media and put it in a basket of the new cannister

[drjuzz]

My External canister filter has large sponge, scrubbing sponge & white cimertric rings (this one will stay).

The trickle filter had only a sponge in and sometimes i put charcoal in.

I had a look at the pet shop and i think i am going to go for one of those large internal canister filter (with sponge), this will also help with water circulation.

So ill introduce the new internal canister and let it run for 3 weeks before cleaning the external canister again.

Many thanks for the advice.