Switching from Penguin Bio wheel 350's to Fluval 406 Canister. Good Bacteria colonies

[dougall]

No one else claimed that, either. The words "single" and "kind" hadn't even been typed into this thread.

they have now twice indeed!

Sorry, I guess I was extrapolating the use of 'only bio-media'.

 

[dougall]

The beneficial bacteria colonies function best when the water flow is slow and the media (and the colonies) is left undisturbed. Hence the dedicated bio-filter. Separate mechanical filtration takes care of the large particulates and it is serviced frequently not only to remove the crud to prevent it breaking down into dissolved organic compounds, but also to prevent BB developing here instead of the bio-filter. The inlet tube for the bio-filter is positioned higher in the tank, which prevents most detritus from entering...still, a thin pad prevents any particulates from clogging the bio-media.
So with a larger volume of bio-media in a dedicated filter with slower water flow, we leverage bio-filtration to better purify the water.

I don't want to get further off target, but would love more details on your setup it sounds intriguing even if it is not something I might have considered to this point.


Back to the OP, I would agree with most that removing a biowheel now would not make much of a difference, then remove the second in a week maybe. As far as I remember, the size of your bacterial colony should double in around a day, and you should have plenty outside of filters already (decor, substrate, inside of the tank etc.)

As for aerating the water, I have canister filters on most tanks and don't use an airstone. if you are worried, just point the filter returns (spraybar, jet or whatever) toward the water's surface and it should cause enough agitation to further aerate the water.

 

[Glabe]

they have now twice indeed!

Sorry, I guess I was extrapolating the use of 'only bio-media'.

lol, thrice now!

 

[Observer54]

I have two Aquaclear 70 HOB filters on my 60g. One is dedicated mechanical filter using only sponge and polyester fiber. It is set to low flow / max re-filtration. It is serviced often. The other is a dedicated bio-filter. It uses an AC20 impeller for reduced flow. It has a thin pad, then is completely filled with a packed mixture of Seachem Matrix and De*Nitrate. It too is set for a very low trickle flow and is rarely if ever serviced to preserve the integrity of the colonies.
Another very good setup I've seen on a 75g used a canister as a dedicated bio-filter and two cartridge type HOBs for mechanical filtration. Even though the tank seemed rather over stocked, the water was crystal clear and the stock was very healthy.

I don't want to get further off target, but would love more details on your setup it sounds intriguing even if it is not something I might have considered to this point.