2 Filters

Hi Fruitbat,

Yes, I have two filters, mainly to have one that can be easily moved into a QT as/when required with a guarantee of mature media already in place, without having to dig out the spare filter, fiddle with both filters by removing some mature media from the established tank's filter and moving it into the spare filter, etc. This was a blessing last summer when I was having to set up the QT frequently (and so just needed to remove one filter from the main tank) and is also handy if an emergency arises. [It also happens that the two filters complement one another - one filter had more of a waterfall effect but the surface of the water didn't really move, so the other old filter which I had complemented that by being good at circulating the water on the water surface.]

Edited to add: If you removed the second filter once the bacteria had grown, you'd need to keep the media (sponge) from it in the main tank (eg squashed into the main tank's filter), otherwise it would die off ie it needs a constant supply of ammonia from fish waste to keep the bacteria colony alive.

so im ok to leave them in, i have good water quality and only one  death in 8 months which is brill, some of you will know I've had a few traumas in my 2 years fish keeping and want to continue the good work, hopefully it will and maybe get a 120l tank next because when everything is going well its fab  thanks