thinking of changing power filter

[jparnell]

Me again.
Now that my tank has cycled, I'm thinking of changing my power filter. The one I have came with the tank. Very basic, just a carbon filter. What I don't like is the risk of cycling re-starting when I put in a new replacement filter.
I've done a lot of reading on the penguin biowheels, and it looks like a great idea.
So here's the question: If I were to actually take the plunge and replace my power filter, what's the best way of doing it to limit re-cycling on the tank? Have both filters running for a couple of days? week? Just do a straight replacement and hope there's enough bacteria in the tank? (no live plants... gravel and three fake plants, couple of ornaments, one of which has an air pump)
Thanks again!

 

[xytrix01]

The bio-wheel filters have been great for me so far! If you get a new one, just let both filters run on the tank for about 2 weeks. You can tell when the bactiria has caught on in the bio-wheel because the wheel itself turns from a light gray to a gross looking brown. The only other thing to consider is the capacity of the filter. I'm not sure on the size of your tank, but I would get the model that has double the capacity listed. It's not posible to over-filter a tank, so for example on my 20gal I'm running the bio-wheel 170. It has a capacity rating of up to 50 gallons. And if you have one of the larger tanks, I would sugest going with two smaller filters instead of one big one. Like 2x 170's instead of a single 330. That way you still have at least one running should anything fail.

Thats my 2 cents!

-Harvey