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Tanks With More Than One Filter - Discussion Thread

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Offline Paddyc

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Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« on: June 13, 2016, 09:20:23 PM »
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I have been searching and browsing the forum boards to read up on what the benefits/pitfalls of having more than one filter in a tank.

For instance, in my 3 foot tank I have a Fluval 4 internal filter and an air-powered sponge. Both are cycling in the tank at the moment in what I have decided to call a "lazy cycle" in that I just add a 4ml dose of ammonia once a week and don't bother with the water parameter tests. As time goes on though the temptation is growing to see what the levels are. When I do a water change in my big tank I remove water from the 3 foot and top it up with my removed tank water... Gravel muck included... To simulate a live community.

What I'm wondering is what happens to the tank if I decide to buy a wee tank for shrimps or a Betta for my daughters toy room and remove the air powered sponge? I would assume that there would be sufficient bacteria colonies in the sponge to support a lone Betta and could quickly introduce one into the tank once it is set up?

Meanwhile back in the 3 foot... Say I had fish in there for quarantine or for any reason at all really... Would removing the sponge filter cause a mini-cycle? My assumption would be yes but I am seeking members' own experiences of filter moving and the associated after-effects on the tank environments...

Many thanks in advance for your feedback  :cheers:
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Offline Sue

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2016, 09:59:37 PM »
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Say you have tank that is cycled no matter how many filters it has. The total number of bacteria will remove the waste from the fish in that tank. But not all the bacteria are in the filter, and plants help remove ammonia.

But for the sake of a simple model, assume no live plants and all the bacteria are in the filter. It is safe to remove up to one third of the media in the tank, whether that's media from a single filter or one of two filters. That third will support fish equivalent to a third of the body mass of the fish in that tank. So if your sponge filter has up a third of the total media, and the betta is up to a third of the body mass of the fish in the other tank, that should work.

Of course it is more complicated than that because there are bacteria elsewhere in the tank and your sponge filter may or may not have enough bacteria for the betta. The way round that is to remove the sponge filter and add ammonia, bearing in mind that one betta in around 25 litres would make about 1ppm ammonia or less.
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Offline Littlefish

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2016, 10:16:50 PM »
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I have more than one filter in more than one tank, and have moved filters between tanks, or used a "spare" filter from a tank in an emergency. Whether I've just been lucky or not, I've not seen mini cycles in the tanks and have used the spare filters to start cycles in new tanks.
I guess the down side is that they take up space in the tank, and moving filters could also move unwanted things between tanks (snail eggs etc.).
The upside is having spare equipment in an emergency and being able to cycle new tanks quickly.
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Offline Hampalong

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2016, 11:34:52 PM »
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If you're adding 4ppm of ammonia the sponge filter should be more than enough for a Betta, and the other filter will be more than enough to put a few fish into the 3 foot. If you stock gradually you shouldn't see a mini cycle.

As a rough guide, a 3" goldfish produces on average 0.02ppm of ammonia per day.
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Offline Fiona

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2016, 11:52:28 PM »
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Quote from: hampalong on June 13, 2016, 11:34:52 PM
As a rough guide, a 3" goldfish produces on average 0.02ppm of ammonia per day.

Explains why you need such a big tank for the little blighters! I'm very glad I just keep small tropical.
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Offline Sue

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2016, 10:13:49 AM »
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Quote from: Sue on June 13, 2016, 09:59:37 PM
Of course it is more complicated than that because there are bacteria elsewhere in the tank and your sponge filter may or may not have enough bacteria for the betta. The way round that is to remove the sponge filter and add ammonia, bearing in mind that one betta in around 25 litres would make about 1ppm ammonia or less.

Looking at this again this morning, I realise I typed in such a hurry it isn't very clear. My husband was nagging me to turn the laptop off.

It would read better as:
The way round that is to move the sponge filter to the betta's tank and add a dose of ammonia to that. If you have zero ammonia and nitrite after 24 hours, it is fine to go and buy a betta. And because one betta in a tank around 25 litres won't make that much ammonia, a 1 ppm dose of ammonia is the amount to use. Shrimps would make even less, but still use 1 ppm.
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Offline Paddyc

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Re: Tanks with more than one filter - discussion thread
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2016, 10:55:13 AM »
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Aw thanks for clearing that up, it's what I thought you meant, after thinking you were on about the 3 foot tank initially  :)
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