I'll be getting a new AquaClear 110 tomorrow to replace one of my Penguin 350 bio-wheels on my 55g. My plan is to put the 350 on my 20g but I'm not sure of how best to seed the new filter so I don't get a crash bump. I don't have room on the tank to run all 3.

I can take one of the wheels and try and cram it into the AC, along with some of my bio-media sponges, but I'm not sure there'll be room for that.

Or, I could keep the 350 running with some of the ceramic rings to get them seeded, but I won't have room in the Penguin for very many.

How would you do it? And if I put the rings in the 350s, about how long do you think it would take for them to build up enough good bacteria? A couple of weeks? Longer?

Lisa

Is it possible to put one of the filter cartridge from 350 into AC 110? I know AC 110 is big but I don't know the size of 350's cartridge.

I could remove the media and lay that in the AC, but I'd have to put ALL of the media in and then there'd be no room to put my ceramic rings in order for them to become colonized.

If I put the rings in the 350s, I'll have to remove most of the bio-sponges, so I'll most likely experience a bump in my cycle and I really, really want to avoid having too much of one if I can. It took me eons to get that tank level.

Is there another method to use for seeding? If I bag my rings and place them in tank, will they grow any benny-bacteria that way?

Lisa

Ive heard of people putting some rings in a media bag and just flopping them into the new tank. What also works is putting some gravel from the seeded tank into a media bag and putting that into the new tank.

AC 110 has space for sponge, ceramic-ring and charcoal. If you take out charcoal, you might have space for old cartridge.

I would just leave the carbon in its box until you need it to take out meds. Its unnecessary to use it otherwise. This will make room as Fred said, for something else.

First I'd run the AQ110 on your 1st tank for a few hours.

I would siphon half the water into the new tank. Place in half of the gravel. Place half the decorations in each tank. Now you have 2 tanks half full of established water & stuff. Now add fresh water & Prime. It is almost like doing a large water change. Both tanks should be good to go!