USING SECOND HAND FILTERS

[autophotos]

Hey ive got myself a second hand fx5 fluval - is there anything i should do to it before using in my tank - any precautions?

and how do i go about doing them -

It was used on a malawi cichlid tank before hand but not used for a good while - many thanks auto

[J-P]

scrub it and swap out the media?

[autophotos]

ah - i didnt want to swap the media as thats quite expensive

[J-P]

I don't know if it is a good idea but could you run it off a bucket with meds to kill off the bad stuff then add carbon and new water to clear it out?

[Nick]

I believe drying out the media fully after cleaning it throughly SHOULD eliminate any aquatic pathogens.

[Hilly]

I think I would be inclined to scrub the inside and boil the bio media. Drying it out sounds like it would do the same.

I wouldnt want to but brand new media for that thing either.

[lesleyanndunn]

when i got a 2nd hand filter with my tank
i didnt want to replace media either, as was expensive
you can steralize the sponges in the microwave
and that removes everything
wash well first!
if you google 'steralising sponges'
you get more info

http://www.ehow.com/how_2046120_sterilize-sponge.html

[soggydrysuit]

That would work (microwave if washed and damp, foams might catch fire and carbon probably would if dry) - bacterial 'popcorn'

Nice one, I'll remember that if I don't have the time to air dry media. Wouldn't get rid of copper from old meds though. Dechlorinator or carbon or a purigen would.

Thanks

[autophotos]

hey, im going to boil off the sponges and media tonight.

If i then hook the filter up to my tank(still running the other filters) will my tank go through any sort of mini cycle or anything?


Any ideas what happens when a new filter is added to an existing set up alongside the other filters?

[Pufferpunk]

Nothing bad should happen.

[lesleyanndunn]

the filters that are cycled should seed and cycle your new filter
thats how i did mine
and alls worked out fine!

[autophotos]

ive done it with a internal filter before but not with a canister external - wish me luck

[Pufferpunk]

No difference.

[autophotos]

boiled up old media as much as i could - set it up - - all plumbed in - then.....


























flippen eck that thing has some serious flow on it -

it made hell of a lot of noise to begin with - once it was self purging - then it stopped for 2 mins to expel more air - then its running and its real real quiet.

On start up it shot out a load of old gunk from in by the propeller and what was in the tubes - now its all starting to clear up -

Im going to monitor the perameters over the next few days to see what happens

[Pufferpunk]

Did you take apart the motor & clean the impeller? I might have at least changed out the tubing...