Do I ever need to replace ceramic rings in my filter?

[crcurrie]

The vendor says the biological filter rings should be replaced annually. But isn't the whole idea for them to get covered in miasmic gunk? Would they ever stop working and need to be replaced by new rings?

Last year, I replaced half the rings and left the other half. What do you experts do?

I don't want to buy stuff that I don't need, obviously, but also want to ensure that my fish are getting the proper care ...

 

[brettedwin]

The vendor says the biological filter rings should be replaced annually. But isn't the whole idea for them to get covered in miasmic gunk? Would they ever stop working and need to be replaced by new rings?

Last year, I replaced half the rings and left the other half. What do you experts do?

I don't want to buy stuff that I don't need, obviously, but also want to ensure that my fish are getting the proper care ...

If the rings came with a canister filter add pay off the pack give them a feel & if smooth is replace them (staggered) with porerus rings or other media. Smoother the ring the less effective they are.

 

[coralbandit]

I rinse in a bucket of tank water when they get funky..
If they are clogged you could clean/bleach half and then re install ,wait and do other half when needed..
IMO much like mechanical material until it decomposes I keep using it...
I use mostly sponges anyways for bio media as they can be rinsed easily as often as needed...
Bacteria grows on surfaces. All surfaces so your media does not carry the load at all alone .

 

[flitabout]

I swirl mine around in dirty tank water every few months when I clean my canister out. I have never heard of anybody throwing them out. Maybe adding more but never throwing them out

 

[crcurrie]

Thanks for the advice, all!

I ended up throwing out one bag of rings, rinsed off the other and returned it to the filter, and added one new bag that I'd already purchased. I clipped the reused bag so I know next year which one is older.

I also replaced the old sponges. When I restarted the filter, wow, the tank got really cloudy in the space of 10 minutes. I guess a lot of gunk got released when I removed the old media. It's almost back to clear now, a couple hours later, but one thing I noticed was that the filtration process was likely slowed because when the tank is filled up to the rim, the water level in the three-chamber, built-in filtration system goes over the partitions between the filter column and the two pump columns, thereby allowing some of the incoming water to bypass the filter media.

I have a JBJ 28-gallon Nano Cube. Am I overfilling the tank? I fill it to the rim because not only does it look better that way, but also, if the level is even a little lower, then within a few days the water level dips to the point that the filter pumps get noisy because water isn't coming into the filter fast enough.

I'm expecting to hear replies to the effect that I should be adding water regularly between water changes, but I'm too lazy and forgetful to do that. Since the tank has been sustaining my fish pretty well for five years, perhaps what I've been doing is good enough, but am wondering what is optimal ...

 

[flitabout]

Just check your parameters because you just threw out part of your bio filter. As far as your water level that is up to you. I do the same and only refill when it makes noise. But that also tells me it's Saturday and that is water change day.