New canister filter

[jbfootin]

Hi everyone.  I'm a newbe.  I've been keeping fish tanks of varius size for about 10 yrs now.  I have a 75 gallon cichlid tank (peacocks and frontosias)  

i just got a new fluval 404  (good deal on ebay!) to replace my old, leaky, loud and hard to work with 403.  Would it be a good idea to use some of the media from my old filter to keep the biology in place (i.e. ceramic ring thingys) ?  What can i use old and what do I need to get new?

Thanks for whatever help you can give me.

Jbfootin

 

[Somonas]

Hello and welcome to Myfishtank.net.   congrats on your 404, it is a very nice filter.

Yes, it is a very good idea to put whatever you can from the old one into the new filter especially ceramic rings, and sponge if you can fit it in .   Don't bother transferring old carbon, zeolite or filter floss.  (you can if you want to, there is nothing wrong with it, I don't).      You put your ceramic rings in the bottom media tray in the 404, and the 403 sponges above that, and then put some brand new filter floss at the very top, in the last media tray.  (water polishing).

now if I remember correctly the 404 has a long sponge that goes down the one side, and you should  have gotten a new one with the 404 canister. use this as directed in the instructions...  Also you might have to cut the old 403 round sponges so they fit inside the 404 media compartments.

good luck and let us know how it goes.