Filter swap?!

[Shadowplec6]

I need to charge the filter on my 47 gallon tank due to the fact that the Marineland Magnum Polishing filter that is in it now puts out too much water current and I fear that my fish are having a hard time with the current; they are red capped orandas and aren’t the strongest swimmers, they have a place to hide from the current and rest but they seem to stay there a lot! So I got them a Fluval U4 with an adjustable current output and put it in the tank with the Marineland filter; I don’t want to bio-shock the tank by changing the filter too fast, but I was wondering how long I should leave the both of them in the tank together before I can safely remove the original filter? I figured a month at minimum to let the good bacteria become established?

 

[tlindsey]

I need to charge the filter on my 47 gallon tank due to the fact that the Marineland Magnum Polishing filter that is in it now puts out too much water current and I fear that my fish are having a hard time with the current; they are red capped orandas and aren’t the strongest swimmers, they have a place to hide from the current and rest but they seem to stay there a lot! So I got them a Fluval U4 with an adjustable current output and put it in the tank with the Marineland filter; I don’t want to bio-shock the tank by changing the filter too fast, but I was wondering how long I should leave the both of them in the tank together before I can safely charge filters?

Swap out some of the Bio Media and place in the new filter if possible.

 

[Blakewater]

^ or have both run for a little while on the same tank before removing the old filter

 

[twentyleagues]

Id say you are good with either option and I think a month would be fine.

 

[xraycer]

I just Googled to see the 2 filters you have, and here's my recommendation. As Thomas had suggested, use the Magnum's current media. Remove both of the Fluval's mechanical filters, because it won't be used for at least a month. Cut the Magnum's media into pieces that will fit into the Fluval's mechanical filtration slots. After about a month, the bio-media in your new Fluval should be established. Then you can discard the Magnum's media, and put the Fluval's mechanical filter trays back in.
Unless your tank is overstocked and fairly new, you may probably have enough bb established on the tank's glass and decors already to maintain safe parameters. But, I would play it safe, and do it the way I'd originally mentioned.

 

[Shadowplec6]

The tank setup is about two years old. Only houses two small red capped oranda goldfish and one juvenile common sailfin pleco ( which will be moved to a larger tank soon and replaced with a smaller pleco species, like a bulldog pleco ) I will just leave both in the tank together for a month.

 

[Rocksor]

There's no guarantee that most of bacteria will move into the new filter if you have both filters running for a month. The best bet is following tlindsey advice to get most of it. I would slowly remove the old media from the new filter, and replace with new media over the course regular routine filter maintenance after the 1st month.

 

[Shadowplec6]

There's no guarantee that most of bacteria will move into the new filter if you have both filters running for a month. The best bet is following tlindsey advice to get most of it. I would slowly remove the old media from the new filter, and replace with new media over the course regular routine filter maintenance after the 1st month.

Both filters are already in the tank and are running side by side; I could probably put at least most of the filter sleeve from the magnum in fluval but that is it.