How do I switch filters without a spike

I am switching a my fluval 404 to a wet/dry sumpw/ fuge. Should I leave the fluval hooked up also for a while or can i remove it and just place the bio media in with the bio balls to seed them. I would rather take off the fluval as i am going to return it and would rather do it sooner than later. I have one clown fish.

 

Soaking your bio-balls through your fluval is a good idea, it will seed your bacteria to the bio media and stabilize the new filter quickly. You can also run the wet/dry along with your fluval.

 

How long has the tank been up and running and wahts in the tank?

 

Tank w/ live rock 12lbs -40lbs "dead" rock 3in LSB 4 hermits running for 4 weeks, I have had a clown for almost a week. Total the tank has been running 5 weeks nitrates just hit zero this week. am-0 nitrites-0 for 3 weeks.

 

You can do that.
Depending on what it is, you can put it in a filter sock and place in the wet/dry so you can easily remove it later.

 

With the short time running and limited livestock I dont see why you just cant swap the filters out. The live rock and Sand should hold that load until bioballs can catch up. By the way who is going to return a month old used filter for ya? Proceed with caution but I just dont see where the Fluval is helping with the bio load that greatly. They arent a super bio fliter anyway. (oh no I said it! here come the United Fluval Users Group to tell me they have had that filter running for 25 years on a heavily stocked live fed tank and have done no water changes in 15 years. AND that tank is perfect!!!) Just kidding. Hey are you using a protien skimmer?

 

Petsmart is going to return it. They have a good return policy basically if you animals are un happy then you can return it no questions asked and there is no time restrictions. I have called many of them to make sure that it would be no problem, just need the reciept.

I have an aqua c skimmer. It has been producing skimate for 2 weeks.

 

On my own tank I would just swap it out considreing the low bioload and age of the tank. On a customers tank I would follow Matts advice and float the media in a sock in the sump. With that said you can choose either way you feel most comfortable with