Filters & Shipments

Hi everyone,

Can anyone tell me how you condition your filters prior to a large shipment coming in?

If you sell a lot of your discus then the load on the filters is greatly reduced, then another load of discus comes in. How does the filters cope?

Regards

Mark

Hi Mark,
Generally a well seasoned and cycled sponge or other filter media will have a bacterial colony covering the availible surface areas.. When food is decreased for these bacteria...their density may decrease...but because bacteria reproduce so fast....they usually catch up quickly when the bioload increases...Usually large water changes are done after fish come in and the filters pick up the slack.

If you are particularly concerned though about it... an ammonia source can be added to the tanks several days before Hand and then do a full water change before getting in the fish.

hth,
al