How do I proprly replace my old filter with a new one, so the good bacteria can swap?
- Thread starter $eaba$$
- Start date
You could leave both your old and new filter running together for a week or two. You could also try to stick whatever media is in your old filter in the new one. I know the Aqua Clear's have the little basket that offers quite a bit of room for media. You could leave the carbon part out and put the media from your old filter in there. Maybe even take some substrate off the top level, stick it in a little mesh bag and put it in the filter. You just need some way for the filter bacteria to propagate on the new media.
there are a few bacteria in the water, but they survive almost entirely on surfaces, such as your gravel and filter media because they have the most surface area relative to their volume. It's really much more effective than trying to jumpstart your cycle with old tank water.
freakindeed's advice is right on. It's how I did it. Not even a tiny blip of ammonia or nitrites.
freakindeed's advice is right on. It's how I did it. Not even a tiny blip of ammonia or nitrites.
I would definitely seed it. It's easy to do and can't hurt. It could prevent you just the tiniest little spike in ammonia that could hurt your fish. The filter is probably the most bacteria populated place in your tank, with the substrate second.
Yep freak indeed is right take some of the old media and put it in the new filter with the new media. All my tanks have two+ filters so I just change one at a time so if you could leave the old one on with the new one that will work as well.
