Ordered a NEW FILTER!

[Vincenia]

I just ordered a new filter for my 10g, since the Whisper 10i isn't cutting it with filteration. I ordered the Marineland Penguin Bio-Wheel 100, since I like the 200 on my 37g. The 100 goes up to a 20g tank, 100 GPH, which isn't bad. Would the new filter cause my tank to re-cycle or no?

 

[tanker]

Slightly, but if the tank is planted, it "should" be only a short cycle.

 

[Vincenia]

The tank is planted, I want to get more plants and driftwood for the tank once I can.

 

[dundadundun]

what did you do with the whisper 10i?

if it's still in there, you shouldn't experience a mini cycle. if you can put the media in the cavities of the new filter, you should be good to go... maybe a tiny mini-cycle. if you removed it and the media's been allowed to dry up, all bets are off... you're probably going to have a mini-cycle.

though... if your tank's well matured, you should be pretty safe. do an extra water change a couple times and you should be good to go.

 

[authmal]

Run both filters for a month or so. Or put the media from the Whisper into the Penguin for a month or so to reduce the amount of time to seed all of the Penguin's media.

 

[tanker]

It is not the filter that has most of the good bacteria, it is the media. So if you can, run them both for a while, so that the new filter has a chance to "Grow" new bacteria.

 

[esoepr1976]

Congrats on your new filter. I like the biowheels myself, so I'd say you made a good choice. Run the new and old filters together for a while (or put the old filter media somewhere in the new filter for a while) and you should only experience a mini-cycle at worst.

Emily

 

[FreshyFresh]

I've got a 100B on my 10gal. It came with the marineland 10g kit. It's a nice little filter. You can get replacement filter cartridges for about $1/ea for them. The only problem is, you can only use marineland/penguin style replacement cartridges. There's absolutely no room in the filter tank to do DIY media or add any type of additional bio media. I guess that's what the bio wheel is for!

Like said, just remove the bio media (I wouldn't bother with the mechanical media) from your whisper 10i and let it sit in the tank, with the new filter running. Also like said, you probably have enough BB on the hardscape in the tank, you don't even have to worry about what's in the filter.

 

[Vincenia]

I don't have the room to run both filters on the tank. I have to remove the Whisper 10i and put the Marineland on the tank. I put decor into the tank months ago from my 37g, so there is a bunch of BB in the tank. I worry that floating the 10i filter media in the tank and I doubt it'll fit into the new filter. I get the new filter in a few days.

 

[tanker]

I think everyone is mistaken about where the good bacteria is. It is located "Mostly" where there is high water movement and O2 (media, BIO wheel, ect.).
There is some on the tank walls, decor, ect. But most is where there is lots of flow (filter media). Floating the old media in the tank is useless.

You have plants==so let the plants absorb a good portion of the ammonia, ect. If you cannot run both filters, then there is nothing you can do. Just run the new filter as is. Let the plants handle the ammonia,ect. You will have a small, short cycle, just do a major WC about a week after the new filter is in. You should be OK.