I can't keep neons either, and I'm not sure how long they live. Some of my kuhlis are 11 (I know they can live to 23) and my clown plecos are 8. I'm thrilled if my bettas live for more than a year though, so not all species are equal.
I just set up a canister filter we got at a garage sale last year - the thing is AMAZING. Crystal clear water, quiet, and moves a lot of water. If it were me and there were live fish in the tank, I'd leave the UGF in place for now, remove the HOB, take the filter media from the HOB and put it in the canister, and run only the canister for a month or two. After that you could take the UGF out. Changing too much too quickly will start you back at square one on your cycle.
Fish Experts?
-
wodesorel
- Tech Support
- Posts: 10587
- Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:49 am
- Location: Leetonia, Ohio
- Contact:
Re: Fish Experts?
Want to see all my crazy pets? @waywardwaifs on Instagram
-
Kleinerhejhog
Topic author - Posts: 307
- Joined: Sat May 23, 2015 5:14 pm
- Location: Wylie, Texas
Re: Fish Experts?
Oh-em-gee. Is 4-5 gallons twice a week to change too much or too little? Now I have two plays instead of four. 
Ironically, I had a betta in a little tiny tank, 1 or 1.5 gal for a year and a half, and then he went into a 5 for at least a year. Don't know how, since it looks like I hadn't been doing anything "right"...
The filter media from the HOB won't fill up the canister filter. I just went and checked it out, and I was wrong about it all being dry, it was mostly closed up so it's all still wet. It's called a Rena Filstar XP2. There's two trays that stack up, and all the stuff in there is about six inches square. The HOB stuff isn't that big. Would it work to keep the HOB running, and just add the canister? if so, should i use the old media, or get new?
Ironically, I had a betta in a little tiny tank, 1 or 1.5 gal for a year and a half, and then he went into a 5 for at least a year. Don't know how, since it looks like I hadn't been doing anything "right"...
The filter media from the HOB won't fill up the canister filter. I just went and checked it out, and I was wrong about it all being dry, it was mostly closed up so it's all still wet. It's called a Rena Filstar XP2. There's two trays that stack up, and all the stuff in there is about six inches square. The HOB stuff isn't that big. Would it work to keep the HOB running, and just add the canister? if so, should i use the old media, or get new?