How to put a new canister filter on an established aquarium

[Reefmonkey]

I have an ancient Marineland Magnum 350 convertible canister filter from 2003 that is finally kaput. I'm replacing it with a Marineland Magniflow 220 I just bought from Petsmart. They're having an incredible sale right now, this thing normally goes for $161.99 but I got it for $105.

What's the best way to switch over to the new filter? The old filter is just loose activated carbon poured into a little flow-through chamber, with a floss sleeve over it, no bioballs or anything like that I could put in the new filter, and the new filter doesn't have a space for loose carbon, uses a carbon bag.

[mredman]

What livestock do you keep in the aquarium? How many gallons? Fresh or salt?

Mike

[Reefmonkey]

What livestock do you keep in the aquarium? How many gallons? Fresh or salt?

Mike

Well, I know this is the freshwater forum, but it's a brackish, which in general principles is closer to fresh, I think. It's a 55 gallon, with 4 monos and a scat. Are aquarium size and what fish are in it really crucial information to general principles of bacterial colonization of filter media?

[troy tucker]

If the Tank has been up and running. You should have the bacteria in the substrate. Put the new filter on the tank. You could use a small peace of the floss to help seed the new filter. It will cycle quick.

[Reefmonkey]

If the Tank has been up and running. You should have the bacteria in the substrate. Put the new filter on the tank. You could use a small peace of the floss to help seed the new filter. It will cycle quick.

Cool, thanks. Just out of curiosity, anyone know how long it usually takes filter bacteria to reach their ultimate population in a scenario like this?

[Austy16414]

Follow Troy's advice. Pull whatever you can out of the old filter, add it to the new filter, and you're good to go. It could take up to a month for the bacteria to fully colonize the new media, but will probably take less with an established tank

[mredman]

Brackish tank

Well, I know this is the freshwater forum, but it's a brackish, which in general principles is closer to fresh, I think. It's a 55 gallon, with 4 monos and a scat. Are aquarium size and what fish are in it really crucial information to general principles of bacterial colonization of filter media?

The tank size is important because one filter may not be sufficient. In my 135-gallon planted tank, I run two canister filters - one for biological filtration (mostly biobeads) and the other is mechanical filtration, which primarily consists of layers of different floss materials and fine filter pads (down to 100 microns) for water polishing.

Furthermore, in some setups, activated carbon is not desirable. I make frequent water changes and do not want to risk removal of necessary nutrients. I never used carbon in reef tanks either.

I would use some of the previous floss in the new canister along with old biobeads and some new ones, as previously recommended in this thread.

Keep in mind that the higher the pH, the more toxic ammonia and nitrates will be compared to lower PH levels. You do not have a heavy bioload but in any brackish or saltwater tank, frequent water changes are required.

Do you monitor your specific gravity? Due to evaporation, you will get specific gravity creep over time if you do not top off with preferably RO water.

Mike

[Reefmonkey]

The tank size is important because one filter may not be sufficient. In my 135-gallon planted tank, I run two canister filters - one for biological filtration (mostly biobeads) and the other is mechanical filtration, which primarily consists of layers of different floss materials and fine filter pads (down to 100 microns) for water polishing.

Furthermore, in some setups, activated carbon is not desirable. I make frequent water changes and do not want to risk removal of necessary nutrients. I never used carbon in reef tanks either.

I would use some of the previous floss in the new canister along with old biobeads and some new ones, as previously recommended in this thread.

Keep in mind that the higher the pH, the more toxic ammonia and nitrates will be compared to lower PH levels. You do not have a heavy bioload but in any brackish or saltwater tank, frequent water changes are required.

Do you monitor your specific gravity? Due to evaporation, you will get specific gravity creep over time if you do not top off with preferably RO water.

Mike

I had the old filter on this tank for 13 years so replacing it with a filter with similar flowrate I expect it to be fine. Also looks like the new filter, with its multiple media, is overall going to have much higher surface area. Furthermore, the new filter is so much quieter than my old one, which my wife really likes. You have to strain to hear it with the cabinet closed.

There were no biobeads in the old filter, but I cut a piece of the old floss sleeve and placed it temporarily in one of the media trays in the new filter to speed up inocculation.

I do a weekly 10% water change, and at that time test the SG with a hydrometer and adjust the salt content of the new water as needed, and have been able to keep the SG within a thousanth of 1.014 for several months now.

[ptran]

Like other mentioned, fastest way to seed a new filter is using old media/floss from established filter. I wouldn't recommend to decommission the old filter right away. Maybe run both of them at the same time for a few weeks.

[Reefmonkey]

I wouldn't recommend to decommission the old filter right away. Maybe run both of them at the same time for a few weeks.

'Fraid that's not an option. The plastic where the hinge side of the thin metal clamp attaches to the the chamber of the filter has broken, so it was no longer sealing and dribbling salt water all over the hardwood. Had to take it out of operation immediately.

[mredman]

That is awesome you were able to get 13 years out of your old filter, especially a device with moving parts. My oldest relic is a stainless steel Metaframe aquarium from the 1960s.

Mike

I had the old filter on this tank for 13 years so replacing it with a filter with similar flowrate I expect it to be fine. Also looks like the new filter, with its multiple media, is overall going to have much higher surface area. Furthermore, the new filter is so much quieter than my old one, which my wife really likes. You have to strain to hear it with the cabinet closed.

There were no biobeads in the old filter, but I cut a piece of the old floss sleeve and placed it temporarily in one of the media trays in the new filter to speed up inocculation.

I do a weekly 10% water change, and at that time test the SG with a hydrometer and adjust the salt content of the new water as needed, and have been able to keep the SG within a thousanth of 1.014 for several months now.

[Reefmonkey]

That is awesome you were able to get 13 years out of your old filter, especially a device with moving parts. My oldest relic is a stainless steel Metaframe aquarium from the 1960s.

Mike

It is kind of impressive now that you mention it. Looking at reviews of this model, I see lots of reviews by people who are still running theirs close to 20 years, I guess Marineland really did a good job on it. Funny, since at the time I bought it I was in my mid-20s and not thinking about filter longevity, I bought the cheapest canister filter I could so I could have more money for expensive livestock. Does that Metaframe aquarium still hold water?