thinking of changing power filter

J

jparnell

AC Members
Aug 29, 2004
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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Me again.
Now that my tank has cycled, I'm thinking of changing my power filter. The one I have came with the tank. Very basic, just a carbon filter. What I don't like is the risk of cycling re-starting when I put in a new replacement filter.
I've done a lot of reading on the penguin biowheels, and it looks like a great idea.
So here's the question: If I were to actually take the plunge and replace my power filter, what's the best way of doing it to limit re-cycling on the tank? Have both filters running for a couple of days? week? Just do a straight replacement and hope there's enough bacteria in the tank? (no live plants... gravel and three fake plants, couple of ornaments, one of which has an air pump)
Thanks again!
 
The bio-wheel filters have been great for me so far! If you get a new one, just let both filters run on the tank for about 2 weeks. You can tell when the bactiria has caught on in the bio-wheel because the wheel itself turns from a light gray to a gross looking brown. The only other thing to consider is the capacity of the filter. I'm not sure on the size of your tank, but I would get the model that has double the capacity listed. It's not posible to over-filter a tank, so for example on my 20gal I'm running the bio-wheel 170. It has a capacity rating of up to 50 gallons. And if you have one of the larger tanks, I would sugest going with two smaller filters instead of one big one. Like 2x 170's instead of a single 330. That way you still have at least one running should anything fail.

Thats my 2 cents! :rolleyes:

-Harvey
 
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