Filter changes during "fish-in" cycling?

[desertrefugee]

Hi folks (from the rank beginner).

My 29 is still going strong, all residents (6 mollies and a dwarf frog) still happy - as I'm watching ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels like a hawk - and changing ~25% of the water twice weekly. About three weeks in and all is well.

Ammonia remains at around .5ppm. Today, I've begun seeing evidence of rising nitrite levels. With dip testers, the nitrite is also now at around .5ppm. Still no sign of nitrate. But, I am pleased that the first level bacteria cycle appears well underway.

Now, I have a dilemma. My Topfin 40 at full flow is now experiencing quite a bit of back flow. What's the best way to re-filter it and still retain the bacterial growth I so desperately need just now? It has the "stock" single piece filter. I have a replacement "two piece", but am leery of throwing away my hard-won bacteria. How do I both get back my flow and keep the microbes?

 

[unwritten law]

When you do a water change keep the bucket of old water and put the filter cartridge in it... then you can clean out the filter with a pipe cleaner or something. When you are done put it back together and hope it works fine again...

 

[TheRainbowFish]

You can't just wash all the bacteria out of the sponge like that! <.< >.>
Unwritten Law's idea will work, (I never thought of that) If it's still to slow only lightly wash the sponge, just take the bigger things off leaving the growth there. It's worked with my tanks so far, just don't blast it and keep it wet!

 

[seastaar88]

Yep - just swish the filter in tank water from a water change. No reason to change filters.

 

[epond83]

What is this two piece? is it a more permanate filter. You could clean the old as other have sugested, put the new one in if it is a better longer lasting one, then put the old one in front of the new one if there is room.

 

[desertrefugee]

I really like the immediacy of responses on this forum - and why the forum format is so popular across the internet in so many topic areas. This is one of the better ones with regard to expertise and willingness to help "noobs".

And like most everything else with fish keeping, addressing the filter change while cycling is intuitive - once you've heard what to do. I hadn't thought of "just swishing" it in outgoing water. That's a great idea!

But, at some point down the road, I'll actually want to move to the two part filter (the second part is a bacterial layer that is essentially "permanent"). When during the cycling would it be advisable to install this? I know, I know, if I had been smart, I would have had it in there from the beginning. But, I didn't.

For the record, I've been going to pet stores with wife and kids (now grown) for years - for horse, dog, cat, bird and reptile (truthfully). The first place I always went was to the fish section. For some reason, I waited until now to get into them - and wish I hadn't waited.

Thanks again for all the help for us "noobies".

 

[epond83]

The bacteria plate that is permanate is what i though you were talking about, i would do like i said, swish the old one around if it looks dirty, then install the new one, putting the old one behind it or some where it will still get flow, this way the new one which has more surface area to grow gets essablished and you don't lose the growth you have had already.