How to switch filters without losing good bacteria? Help!

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Kaitlyn

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Sep 20, 2017
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Thats what i was gonna suggest . run both filters permanently. also i would definitely rehome the barbs and maybe make it a betta tank with a couple snails and shrimp or get a school of nano fish..ember tetras or celestial pearl danio would probably work with a school of 6. Good Luck...not rehoming the barbs sooner than later could possibly get ugly
Have always planned on rehoming the barbs, just was waiting for my tank to settle down! Took them back today and got some nerite snails :) and ended up with, well, a baby of some sort, who came attached to my wisteria... No idea what it is, but I guess I'll find out, lol.
 

The Habitat

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Oct 7, 2017
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may also want to add something else besides the nerites i dont believe they will keep your cycle going smooth they dont have a heavy enough bioload...my guess with the hitchhiker on your plant will be either a pond, bladder, or ramshorn...what color and shape is it? could even be an MTS
 
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Kaitlyn

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Sep 20, 2017
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may also want to add something else besides the nerites i dont believe they will keep your cycle going smooth they dont have a heavy enough bioload...my guess with the hitchhiker on your plant will be either a pond, bladder, or ramshorn...what color and shape is it? could even be an MTS
I just created an album with some photos from earlier. Currently, I can't find the little guy. He's so tiny I can't even see him unless I press my face right up against the glass and close one eye.

37c5050d3a6d929568d077f5e1713a16.jpg ID Snail.jpg ID SNAIL 2.jpg ID Snail 3.jpg
 

The Habitat

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as long as your tank is cycled it would be ok to add fish.. if it were me i'de personally add a Betta just to give them a better life than living in a cup...but there are other options like nano fish that i mentioned in an earlier post ....If the hitchhiker your talking about is the little snail on that plant it kind of looks to me like a bladder snail...one way to control their population is to always be sure to not overfeed your tank...I haven't had them personally but i do now have 4 ramshorn that were hitchhikers on plants i got in the past and i like them cuz they can climb on tiny plants and help clean too
 

Kaitlyn

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Sep 20, 2017
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as long as your tank is cycled it would be ok to add fish.. if it were me i'de personally add a Betta just to give them a better life than living in a cup...but there are other options like nano fish that i mentioned in an earlier post ....If the hitchhiker your talking about is the little snail on that plant it kind of looks to me like a bladder snail...one way to control their population is to always be sure to not overfeed your tank...I haven't had them personally but i do now have 4 ramshorn that were hitchhikers on plants i got in the past and i like them cuz they can climb on tiny plants and help clean too
Gotcha, thanks! On my way to the fish store now to start on my stocking plan! lol
 

The Habitat

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Oct 7, 2017
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Good luck...Lets see some pics once you pick what u got and have em settled in...its good to acclimate them and leave the lights off for a while to help them adjust a little better!!
 

Tifftastic

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Aww its cute! I agree, looks like a bladder snail to me. They aren't much of a problem if you feed light and keep your detritus siphoned up.

With a ten gallon there aren't a lot of options, don't listen to the box stores on what you can have. Majority of their suggestions are not good for 10 gallon tanks.
Endlers would be an option, as would ember tetras. A male betta on his own would likely take up majority of the space. A paradise fish is another option, if you can find them. You could also do some inverts, like cherry shrimp and some celestial pearl danios or something that size.
 

Guppies99

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Oct 13, 2017
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I would run the filters in the tank at the same time, and on the next 2 water changes double dose of stress zyme, as to the tank cycling quickly keep a close eye on it they can sometimes do mini cycles before the proper cycle kicks in
 
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