[Chris767]

Tonight I switched my 20L from HOB filtration to a canister.

The HOB's are a penguin 150 (just to move water around really,) and an AC70. I'm just curious if there anyone that can input on what kind of parameter changes I can expect. I've heard a lot of folks say that most of the bio filtration is done in the substrate, and there are those that say the opposite. I've left the penguin running with a sponge from the AC in it, the other sponge from the AC was incorporated into the canister, as well as the ceramic rings from the top of the AC.

Ironically enough, after I had done this, a guppy gave birth. So now I have 20+ fry swimming around and I'm hoping that any cycle that I see will be small enough that the fry won't die off.

Any input?

 

[DarkCobra]

Should be fine with the media transfer, not to mention the bacteria and plants in the tank.

Surely 20L is a typo though? An AC150 and Penguin 150 on a 5 gallon tank? :hihi:

 

[Chris767]

It's a 20 gallon long, or 19 I guess. I assume a 20L is a nano sort of setup?

 

[DarkCobra]

Ah! Sorry, I read that as 20 liters (about 5 gallons), instead of 20 long. And was imagining a whirlpool. :hihi:

 

[Chris767]

Haha, yeah, that would be quite a maelstrom of doom. Maybe 10 minutes of that workout a day and our fish would have some serious muscle definition.

 

[reignOfFred]

Most bacteria is in the filter - the movement of the pump pushing the water through the filter exposes water to the filter media the most. By putting the media from the HOB into the canister you can expect the tank to continue functioning as normal with no noticeable change.

 

[ridethespiral]

When I had my 10g running and 'moderately' planted, I was running an aquaclear 20. It didn't cut it so I opted to buy an ehiem 2213. I switched over to the 2213 without bothering to transfer any media etc etc.

In a planted tank, the plants act as a buffer and will take up all the ammonia as it is produced and so generally you would be safe in this situation. In a NON planted tank, you're just asking for trouble.