want to ditch new HOB, question first

[zeebo]

Hi guys, I recently had to change one of the filters on my 30g tank and I HATE the new filter, not enough room for enough biomatrix. So if i ditch it BUT ,of course keep the biomatrix I do have already seeded from it ,and add more NEW clay bm to the larger new filter I just picked up, will it cause a mini-cycle?
I have a pair of L034's on hold at the store and I want more than this filter can hold before I get them. So will I be looking at a mini-cycle ?

Thanks,
Georgie

 

[jessonthenet]

If you move the media to a new filter and add more media eventually the new media will have bacteria on it. If there is enough bacteria on the current media to get rid of ammonia etc for your stock you will be fine. If not then there will be ammonia present until more bacteria grow to match levels.

Your tank is always cycling and ammonia always present it just depends how quick everything is converted depending on the amount of bacteria present.

I don't get all this mini-cycle thing really.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
HOB's aren't very popular in the UK, but they potentially offer very efficient biological filtration. I've got an "Eheim Liberty" one. I just threw away all the "slot in" sponges it came with, filled the body up with ceramic rings and put a large sponge pre-filter on intake.

Could you add a sponge pre-filter? That would give you more biological filtration and you wouldn't need to bin the HOB.

I use either these drilled "4" x 4" x 12" Foam Filter Block" or a DIY sewn up one from coarse PPI10 foam sheet. There is a picture and description in this thread.
<http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12774>

Cheers Darrel

 

[jessonthenet]

I did exactly the same thing with my danio tank . I have a hob filter with ceramic rings, I took them from my external filter for my rio 400 so the filter was ready to use. I had loads of ceramic rings in there so taking some out wouldn't affect my big tank. I then just add some fresh ceramic rings back into the external. I added a pre filter sponge meant for a fluval edge on the intake. Works well when it works.

 

[Mooo]

Easy enough to toss in some Stability..:clap:

 

[zeebo]

thanks guys, yeah i ditched the Fluval HOB ,just too small to hold enough biomatrix. Put another Marineland HOB on and had much more room , got a little amonia , but dealing with it.

Georgie