Lucky you! another filter question!

theJATM

theJATM

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
107
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Michigan
Country
United States
Ok, so heres the question. i got my axolotls a 50 gallon aquarium 4 weeks ago this coming friday. i then purchased a bio-wheel filter for the tank 3 weeks ago this coming friday. i have my old filter running next to the bio-wheel while the bio-wheel cycles. the water is perfect, my axies are happy. the question is, do you feel its safe to move the other filter to my old aquarium? my old aquarium just has a bubbler in it, and a few live plants and clams and snails. will this crash my cycle removing it early?

and by the way, the 50 gal has alot of plants in it, so i assume thatll help prevent a crash, or am i off?

thank you in advance.
 
Last edited:
After 3 weeks I'd say your clear to go, I got a 128L tank and I'm one of those unpatient people who put their axies in straight away and I even didn't have any problems with my cycle :)
If you are a little stressed about it you can also do some more water changes then the usuall once a week? for a little while
 
Icarez said:
After 3 weeks I'd say your clear to go, I got a 128L tank and I'm one of those unpatient people who put their axies in straight away and I even didn't have any problems with my cycle :)
If you are a little stressed about it you can also do some more water changes then the usuall once a week? for a little while
Click to expand...

thank you. i am just afraid ill crash the tank and the new filter isnt ready yet. im impatient too so i feel your pain.
 
Remember that the bacteria are not JUST on the filter. They live on your substrate, on the glass, everywhere :)
 
HappySkittles said:
Remember that the bacteria are not JUST on the filter. They live on your substrate, on the glass, everywhere :)
Click to expand...

yeah, but i just wasnt sure if 4 weeks was enough time for it to build up.
 
This is a good idea that will help speed up the biowheel cycle.

take some of your old filter media out of the old filter. There should be some brownish green stuff in it, and it should smell like a wet garden. Put in in a bucket with only a little bit of tank water and wash it around and squeeze it and the water in the bucket should go mucky and brown - thats the bacteria. Grab the bio wheel media and soak it in the bacteria water for a while, make sure the sponge soaks some of it up.

this will transfer a lot of the good bacteria from your old filter to the bio wheel and speed up the process. Good luck :)
 
yellowpebble said:
This is a good idea that will help speed up the biowheel cycle.

take some of your old filter media out of the old filter. There should be some brownish green stuff in it, and it should smell like a wet garden. Put in in a bucket with only a little bit of tank water and wash it around and squeeze it and the water in the bucket should go mucky and brown - thats the bacteria. Grab the bio wheel media and soak it in the bacteria water for a while, make sure the sponge soaks some of it up.

this will transfer a lot of the good bacteria from your old filter to the bio wheel and speed up the process. Good luck :)
Click to expand...

THANK YOU! thats an awesome idea! im gonna do that as soon as the tigers game is over.
 
I did this to cycle a sponge filter for a cherry shrimp tank and it took about 2 weeks i think.
 
yellowpebble said:
I did this to cycle a sponge filter for a cherry shrimp tank and it took about 2 weeks i think.
Click to expand...

stupid question.. the filter media is the actual wheel part, correct? or the spongy stuff in a regular filter.
 
I dont know too much about bio wheels but i think it is both. I know the wheel is designed to have bcteria grow on it because it gets oxygenated too so the bacteria can grow faster. The woolly stuff inside the filter would do the same thing too though.
 
yellowpebble said:
I dont know too much about bio wheels but i think it is both. I know the wheel is designed to have bcteria grow on it because it gets oxygenated too so the bacteria can grow faster. The woolly stuff inside the filter would do the same thing too though.
Click to expand...

but arnt you supposed to change the wheel and filter? in effect ruining your cycle?
 
i'm not sure on how those filters work but you usually only change one bit of medium at a time in a filter so that doesn't happen
 
You aren't supposed to change the wheel at all if it can be avoided in those kinds of filters. You just change the filter media
 
HappySkittles said:
You aren't supposed to change the wheel at all if it can be avoided in those kinds of filters. You just change the filter media
Click to expand...

good deal. thanks! just the filter. i soaked the wheel in the bacteria from the other filter. then i poured the water into the wheel filter so it went through twice. ill probably pull the other filter tomorrow.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top