My filter broke!

[elizabeth]

My filter broke, and now there is waste all around the tank. I know that I need to get a new filter, and I want to do a complete tank cleaning and full water change. However, will this mean that I have to cycle the tank again? What should I do, because I do not want to get rid of all the beneficial bacteria??

 

[Skudo09]

It may disrupt the cycle a bit so you will need to be prepared to go through re-establishing the cycle again. However it may not take quite as long as if you were starting from scratch. If you can keep the filter media from your broken filter and place it in your new one, that will help seed the bacteria to the new filter. I wouldn't go to town scrubbing everything in the tank clean. Just to a large water change to get the gunk out. Watch your parameters very closely.

 

[elizabeth]

Thank you! However, I was thinking about getting a sponge filter instead of the one I currently have (it hangs over the edge of the tank). Would that work?

 

[JustKenna]

Do you have substrate? If you do you can keep that and it will help. You just have to keep it wet and not wash it.