fluval filter for 13g tank?

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glittergirl

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May 7, 2003
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I have a 60 litre tank which has been set up for about 9 months now. I bought it as a 'kit' with the tank and accessories included. It has been working fine and I have been very happy with it. Just recently the Rena Filstar filter which came with the tank started to run with a very noisy hum. I was a bit worried that it might break down, so I have bought a 'Fluval 2 Plus' filter to replace it. Having opened the package and read the leaflet, it says that I need to replace the filter sponge every month. The filter I have at the moment just needs to be rinsed in a little tank water every so often. I am a bit worried about losing the 'friendly bacteria' I have worked so hard to keep friendly all these months if I have to keep replacing the filter sponge every month.

So, does anyone know:

Are the Fluval filters really that quiet to make it worth changing the one I have?

How can I make sure I don't kill off the 'friendly bacteria'? On a previous thread, (addressed to me actually) it suggested putting a spare sponge in the tank, but wouldn't that have to be changed from time to time too? It seems like a waste of money to keep throwing them away.

Any ideas would be appreciated :)

Just for the record I did search through a whole load of threads as Orion Girl suggested, but most of them are about filters for larger tanks.
 
for a smaller tank, i think the fluval will be okay. don't listen to them about the sponge: they just want to you put more money into their products. i've reused sponges in similar filters for over a year! here's what you do: when you do a water change, rinse the sponge really well in the water you've just removed. voile! no massive bactera die off, no removal of the bacteria!
 
agree with dethjam316.

i have a fluval internal filter (and an eheim internal) in a uk 15gallon. i have changed the sponge once in 4 years and even then it was only because i had a new sponge lying around.

the fluval is very quiet, not sure about the one you are replacing so can't compare.

IME they are good filters for a small tank. you can stuff the compartments inside with floss / bio-media etc if so desired.

you need to clean the impeller when you clean the filter or it will eventually seize up (sometimes it requires a 'push start').

HTH
 
Thanks guys!

What's the best way to do a changeover to the new filter?
Should I put the sponge from the new filter in the tank for a few days to 'prime' it? Would that be enough? Or should I have both filters running at the same time for a while?
 
...and when you put the new filter in, squeeze out the sponges from the old filter onto the new sponge or suck up some of the brown mulm from your gravel bed and cover the sponge in it to give it a kick start.
 
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