new Eheim on established planted tank??

[Dave]

Hello folks,

I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and anubias)
with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and black
rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear 300
power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become quite
noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter (2213
model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim set up
and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial buildup
present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running with
a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3 new
circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of my
aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My question
now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days enough
time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the tank
on it's own??

Any and all pointers appreciated...
thx...
Dave

[Peter Ashby]

Dave > wrote:

> Hello folks,
>
> I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and anubias)
> with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and black
> rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
> powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear 300
> power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become quite
> noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter (2213
> model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim set up
> and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial buildup
> present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running with
> a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3 new
> circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of my
> aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
> else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My question
> now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days enough
> time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the tank
> on it's own??
>
> Any and all pointers appreciated...

Get yourself a test kit and use it, they are especially for this
situation. For eg what are your nitrate levels and water changes like?
This would give you an idea of how well your old filters were keeping on
top of waste production. It is very hard to answer without some info
like this. For eg if your setup is well over specced there might be not
much feedstock available for the new filter with the aquaclear running
as well so you would be best off dropping the aquaclear. OTOH if you are
only just staying on top of things the eheim should not take longer than
say a week, especially with that sponge.

Peter

--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country

[Brian S.]

For what it is worth, you should also have the bacterial colonies living
down in your substrate if you have rock, sand, etc.

I would say to go ahead and remove the over-the-back filter and just stick
with the canister filter. Over time, the canister will start a bacteria
colony pretty quickly especially if there already is some on the substrate.

Brian S.

"Dave" > wrote in message
...
> Hello folks,
>
> I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and anubias)
> with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and black
> rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
> powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear 300
> power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become quite
> noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter
(2213
> model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim set
up
> and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial buildup
> present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running
with
> a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3 new
> circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of my
> aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
> else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My
question
> now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days enough
> time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the
tank
> on it's own??
>
> Any and all pointers appreciated...
> thx...
> Dave
>
>

[Craig Brye]

I agree... I wouldn't bother leaving both running for more than a day or
two (in my experiences). The filter will begin to get well colonized almost
immediately.

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"Brian S." > wrote in message
news:dzXbd.253423$D%.147947@attbi_s51...
> For what it is worth, you should also have the bacterial colonies living
> down in your substrate if you have rock, sand, etc.
>
> I would say to go ahead and remove the over-the-back filter and just stick
> with the canister filter. Over time, the canister will start a bacteria
> colony pretty quickly especially if there already is some on the
substrate.
>
> Brian S.
>
> "Dave" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hello folks,
> >
> > I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and
anubias)
> > with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and
black
> > rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
> > powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear
300
> > power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become
quite
> > noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter
> (2213
> > model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim
set
> up
> > and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial buildup
> > present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running
> with
> > a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3 new
> > circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of
my
> > aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
> > else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My
> question
> > now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days
enough
> > time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the
> tank
> > on it's own??
> >
> > Any and all pointers appreciated...
> > thx...
> > Dave
> >
> >
>
>

[Dave]

"Craig Brye" > wrote in message
...
>I agree... I wouldn't bother leaving both running for more than a day or
> two (in my experiences). The filter will begin to get well colonized
> almost
> immediately.
>
> --
> Craig Brye
> University of Phoenix Online
>
> "Brian S." > wrote in message
> news:dzXbd.253423$D%.147947@attbi_s51...
>> For what it is worth, you should also have the bacterial colonies living
>> down in your substrate if you have rock, sand, etc.
>>
>> I would say to go ahead and remove the over-the-back filter and just
>> stick
>> with the canister filter. Over time, the canister will start a bacteria
>> colony pretty quickly especially if there already is some on the
> substrate.
>>
>> Brian S.
>>
>> "Dave" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Hello folks,
>> >
>> > I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and
> anubias)
>> > with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and
> black
>> > rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
>> > powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear
> 300
>> > power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become
> quite
>> > noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter
>> (2213
>> > model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim
> set
>> up
>> > and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial
>> > buildup
>> > present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running
>> with
>> > a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3
>> > new
>> > circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of
> my
>> > aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
>> > else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My
>> question
>> > now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days
> enough
>> > time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the
>> tank
>> > on it's own??
>> >
>> > Any and all pointers appreciated...
>> > thx...
>> > Dave
>> >

Thx for the advice. I've diconnected the aquaclear last night. Everything
seems to be fine (and a lot more quiet).

Dave - Toronto

[Craig Brye]

Just be sure to check to Ammonia and Nitrites a couple of times during the
next few days. I've never had a problem doing this, but I would hate to
find out that I was just lucky!

--
Craig Brye
University of Phoenix Online

"Dave" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Craig Brye" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I agree... I wouldn't bother leaving both running for more than a day or
> > two (in my experiences). The filter will begin to get well colonized
> > almost
> > immediately.
> >
> > --
> > Craig Brye
> > University of Phoenix Online
> >
> > "Brian S." > wrote in message
> > news:dzXbd.253423$D%.147947@attbi_s51...
> >> For what it is worth, you should also have the bacterial colonies
living
> >> down in your substrate if you have rock, sand, etc.
> >>
> >> I would say to go ahead and remove the over-the-back filter and just
> >> stick
> >> with the canister filter. Over time, the canister will start a
bacteria
> >> colony pretty quickly especially if there already is some on the
> > substrate.
> >>
> >> Brian S.
> >>
> >> "Dave" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > Hello folks,
> >> >
> >> > I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and
> > anubias)
> >> > with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and
> > black
> >> > rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
> >> > powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear
> > 300
> >> > power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become
> > quite
> >> > noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter
filter
> >> (2213
> >> > model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim
> > set
> >> up
> >> > and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial
> >> > buildup
> >> > present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim
running
> >> with
> >> > a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3
> >> > new
> >> > circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one
of
> > my
> >> > aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
> >> > else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My
> >> question
> >> > now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days
> > enough
> >> > time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold
the
> >> tank
> >> > on it's own??
> >> >
> >> > Any and all pointers appreciated...
> >> > thx...
> >> > Dave
> >> >
>
> Thx for the advice. I've diconnected the aquaclear last night.
Everything
> seems to be fine (and a lot more quiet).
>
> Dave - Toronto
>
>

[Michi Henning]

"Craig Brye" > wrote in message
...
> Just be sure to check to Ammonia and Nitrites a couple of times during the
> next few days. I've never had a problem doing this, but I would hate to
> find out that I was just lucky!

Actually, I suspect it's *Dave* who would hate to find out that you
were just lucky ;-)

Cheers,

Michi.
--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
ZeroC, Inc. http://www.zeroc.com

[Iain Miller]

"Dave" > wrote in message
...
> Hello folks,
>
> I've got a 35 gallon established planted tank (various swords and anubias)
> with a bunch of cardinal tetras, a zebra pleco, 4 clown loaches, and black
> rubber eel. I've also got an undergravel plate running with 2 mini
> powerheads. It's been set up for 2 years now along with an aquaclear 300
> power filter hanging off the back. Well...the aquaclear has become quite
> noisy over time so I've decided to upgrade to an eheim cansiter filter
(2213
> model) which I bought 2 days ago. Since wednesday I've had the eheim set
up
> and I've kept the aquaclear also running so as to keep bacterial buildup
> present throughout the switchover process. I've got the eheim running
with
> a layer of ceramic rings, a sponge from the aquaclear, followed by 3 new
> circular eheim sponges and 1 polish sponge. I figured by using one of my
> aquaclear sponges (I wuz running my aq 300 with 2 sponges and nothing
> else).....that would kick start bacteria buildup in the eheim. My
question
> now is...how long should I keep the aquaclear running?? Is 2 days enough
> time for the eheim to get enough bacteria buildup in order to hold the
tank
> on it's own??
>
> Any and all pointers appreciated...


Given that you have a UGF running I'd say you can switch it off now. If it
was your only filter then I'd give it 2-3 weeks

I.

[Mr Happy]

Dave
You have a working UG too so it should take up a lot of the load
It takes a min of 2 weeks and better 4 to grow a new colony
I would suggest waiting a bit longer.
If our understanding of Zebra are the same, that can't be bigger
than 3.5"
The eel is more problematical - I suggest you look at

http://www.caecilian.org/faq.html#environment

It would suggest that this is not the best thing for the health
of other small fish and it is a digger

No idea how big the clowns are but the largest I have seen were
just under 12" long most in the trade are 2-3". Bottom line is
that the only real load on the filters is from the clowns - if
they are small, the UG will prob work alone while the eheim gets
up to speed but, why take the risk?

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