Time for bacteria to transfer?

[FishyMike]

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering if you guys could give me some advice. I started my tank with a crappy tetra whisper filter and cycled my tank then added a sponge filter and after falling deeper into the hobby it has now consumed my life haha my wife bought me a seachem tidal 35 for Christmas 🙂! As soon as I got it I called a local fish store and asked how I should make the transfer and they said to put as much of the old filter into the new one.... so I cut the top of the bio bag off and fit it in the filter and had just enough room to put the media it came with.( tight but worked) now I’m wondering when is it safe to take the old filter out and just have the media it came with in there? It’s been running like this for atleast 3 weeks and the new media looks good and dirty but I don’t want to pull the string to quick and cause any harm to the tank!

[FrozenFins]

Three weeks is good, your good to pull out the old media.

[Colu]

When your getting reading of zero for ammonia and nitrite that when I would remove old filter

[lefty o]

agree, after 3 weeks its done what it is going to.

[FishyMike]

Great thank s guys!!! It is greatly appreciated!! I actually never had a rise in ammo. Or Nitrites. It was a smooth transition!! I did kee the sponge filter in the whole time!

[FishyMike]

I do plan on replacing my sponge filter with an aquarium co-op filter soon the one I have is big and square and not pretty to look at. But I was wondering if I should use 2 at the same time for a while or should I just squeeze out my old filter and put the new one in?

[Hobbit]

Personally I would use two at the same time for a week or so. Congrats on the smooth transfer with your other filter!