The aquarium must change the filter time after time, but there is a chance of losing bacteria. So, how to change the aquarium filter without losing bacteria?
An aquarist knows very well that the bacteria is very much important for an aquarium ecosystem. The bacteria balance the entire ecosystem by providing necessary inclusion. A new filter takes a week to regrow new bacteria, and that’s why you need to change the aquarium filter by not losing the existing bacteria.
In this content, you will know about the process to change the filter of your aquarium by not losing the bacteria. Again, you will get to know the importance of bacteria in an aquarium if you do not know yet with some additional tips. So, let’s start.
Why The Aquarium needs Bacteria Inside?
As you know, the aquarium needs to maintain an ecosystem to make it an equilibrium. The question is how it works and why. The bacteria help to clean the water by breaking the produced wastage. Again, it helps to break the nitrate and ammonia. So, the entire environment of the aquarium remains clean.
On the other hand, bacteria prevent water toxicity and produce a more efficient environment for water creatures. In this way, bacteria help an aquarium, and it is a must need life to have in an aquarium.
When you change the filter, there is a chance of losing valuable bacteria. For a new aquarium, it takes a week to regrow the bacteria. So, changing to a new aquarium filter, you need to be careful and follow the process perfectly to lose the bacteria in it.
How to Change Aquarium Filter without Losing Bacteria?
You have already known that bacteria are important for your aquarium, and you don’t want to lose them. But, you will feel the necessity of changing the filter cartridge also in the meantime. So, what to do and how to change filter cartridges in the fish tank?
Well, you will find three main possible ways to do it, and they are –
- Leave the old filter
- Reusing the old filter medium
- New filter colonize
Leave the Old Filter
In this process, you need to install your new filter and the old filter so that you won’t lose them until the new filter regrows the bacteria. The old one will supply the bacteria, and the new one will regrow bacteria in a month. It depends on the medium of your filter. Once you see that your new filter medium has regrown the bacteria inside, then you are ready to remove the old one from your aquarium. Here, you need to notice the flow rate of these two filters when they run simultaneously.
This is a very easy method, and you can do it by yourself to prevent bacteria from losing and install a new filter inside your aquarium.
Reusing the Old Filter Medium
Here you will replace the old medium from the old filter with the new one. The process is very easy to follow where you need to be careful about the replacing.
You should know that the filter’s size and shape should be exactly the same; otherwise, you can’t replace the medium.
Here, you need not keep the old filter alongside the new one. Here, it would help if you made sure that the old one from where you will replace the medium is in good condition. Thus, you will be able to change the filter by not losing the bacteria.
New Filter Colonize
The process means to be cloning the new filter with the old one. If you kept in mind that the old filter should work partially ok and put the new one under the old one. So, within a month or less new bacteria will regrow, and this is a slow process. As you don’t have any other choose left in your hand, you should be patient with this process.
But, this process is very impactful as you are getting new bacteria inside. Again, you need to notice the flow of water carefully and have to control it perfectly.
So, you have known how to swap an aquarium filter without losing any bacteria inside.
FAQs
1. How often should aquarium filters be changed?
As you know, a filter is used to maintain the water flow, and when you see that the flow is decreasing, you need to change it. In general, the filter should be changed once a month.
2. Should you change aquarium filter?
– Yes, you should change the aquarium filter otherwise, the full ecosystem of the aquarium will be hampered. If you don’t change the filter regularly, then the filter won’t give the maximum output, which is necessary for an aquarium.
3. Why fish die after changing water?
After changing water, if the water doesn’t match the old environment, the fish will die. Again, some people pour cold water, which is also a cause of the fishes’ death.
Additional Tips
There are some additional tips regarding the changing fish tank filter sponge where you don’t want to lose the bacteria. They are-
- Before changing the filter cartridge, you need to ensure that the water flow will remain the same.
- The new filter should have the capability to regrow the bacteria.
- You should be very careful when the time to change the water of the aquarium.
Final Note
Hopefully, you have understood the necessity of changing the filter and how to change the aquarium filter without losing bacteria. It would help if you had a reusable aquarium filter cartridge on your aquarium to maintain a healthy aquarium environment.
You should not remove the bacteria from your aquarium as they must be needed for your aquarium. If you desire to start a new aquarium, you can go without the bacteria and put fish into it when the filter grows bacteria inside.