# New filter cycle?



## squirrel502 (Apr 3, 2011)

So I just replaced my Penguin 350 with an AquaClear 110, as the Penguin has been on the fritz "very loud and vibrating" for the past week. Anyway, so I replaced the 350, and have the AquaClear on and holy bajesus that thing is quite! I already love the thing ^_^.

But my concern is with a new filter will my tank have to go through another cycle as no bacteria is in the filter. I still have a Penguin 200 attached that was meant for extra filtering, but the noise difference is so drastic that I really want to rip that penguin off aswell.

Oh yah....55g cichlid tank.

Thanks


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

Isn't the Aquaclear great!! Mine's really quite too! I love it!

I'm thinking maybe leave the 200 Penguin on until the Aquaclear has cycled. (I don't know Penguin filters... can you put some of the old media into the new Aquaclear to help speed up the cycling process?) Since the tank itself is mature, I'm hoping with the 200 filter still running, you shouldn't have any problems....... any other advice from anyone who's ever switched filters before would be nice though. (I've got a reeeeeally old Aquaclear that has an impeller that's been acting up lately, so I bought a new one as a back up, and I've always thought I would dump water from the old filter into the new one and use the old media to help it go through as little cycling as possible - when I finally have to switch it).


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## nasomi (Apr 20, 2011)

I love my aquaclear 110. That tank is crystal clear. The tank with the marineland 350 and rena xp3, however, is slightly cloudy if you look down the long end.


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## Alaizabelle (Mar 4, 2011)

I would hold out a few weeks on ripping out the old filters! Let them run alongside the new one, and the bacteria will build up on it  Or, stuff some of the filter media from the old one into the new one.

If none of those are an option....wring out your muckiest filter into your new one, that murky stuff holds the bacteria! (from what I've gathered, at least!) 

I've been switching my 55 gallon community tank over to the Aquaclear 110, man am I in love! It's so much quieter, and my water looks great!


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

The beneficial bacteria adheres it's self to to porous surfaces like sponges, bio-media etc. Simply squeezing the filter material will add a lot of nasty with very few, if any bacteria.

Leave the penguin running along side the AC for two weeks to be safe.


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