O.k.
First of all putting you new filter on an already estabilished tank for a week, will help speed things up immensly. that will give the new filter time to start a bacteria colony, but it will still need to be grown in order to handle a fish load of larger proportions. You will need to feed it and give it time. You can do this by starting with one fish a week and testing frequently, or you can get your filter primed and then add ammonia, which would grow the bacteria to a level which will allow them to handle a large fish load at once. Either way if you don't test you don't know, and times may vary.
I don't know what kind of filter you have on you 10g, but there is surely somewhere for a couple of extra songes, which could be used as transferable bacteria colonies, and could also be used to ensure stability when you change your media.
If you aren't putting your tank through a mini cycle I would be suprised, the fact that you don't yet have a test kit leads me to believe that you don't know what is going on in your tank for sure, but are only guessing based on fish behavior. Depending on load, and type of fish you may be putting them through a lot without knowing it. and sooner or later it will cause you problems.
Lastly do yourself a favor, quit buying new media every month. fill your filter with sponges, and rinse them out in tank water once in a while. sponges litterally last for years in most cases. They do a good job with mechanical and biological filtration, and they are cheap and easy to use.
Somethingsfishy did a fine job of saying the other thoughts on my mind.
Dave
First of all putting you new filter on an already estabilished tank for a week, will help speed things up immensly. that will give the new filter time to start a bacteria colony, but it will still need to be grown in order to handle a fish load of larger proportions. You will need to feed it and give it time. You can do this by starting with one fish a week and testing frequently, or you can get your filter primed and then add ammonia, which would grow the bacteria to a level which will allow them to handle a large fish load at once. Either way if you don't test you don't know, and times may vary.
I don't know what kind of filter you have on you 10g, but there is surely somewhere for a couple of extra songes, which could be used as transferable bacteria colonies, and could also be used to ensure stability when you change your media.
If you aren't putting your tank through a mini cycle I would be suprised, the fact that you don't yet have a test kit leads me to believe that you don't know what is going on in your tank for sure, but are only guessing based on fish behavior. Depending on load, and type of fish you may be putting them through a lot without knowing it. and sooner or later it will cause you problems.
Lastly do yourself a favor, quit buying new media every month. fill your filter with sponges, and rinse them out in tank water once in a while. sponges litterally last for years in most cases. They do a good job with mechanical and biological filtration, and they are cheap and easy to use.
Somethingsfishy did a fine job of saying the other thoughts on my mind.
Dave
