Filter question and separate snail question

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Fishtankkeeper

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
68
A few months ago (beginning of January) I got a 10 gallon starter tank that came with a Whisper PF10 filter, the filter cartridge is looking bad and I want/need to replace it. How do I replace a cartridge without having to recycle my tank (which don't seem to be cycled anyway)? Also I want to get a better filter altogether but this same question comes up about the cycling of the tank. Please help. Also I have many snails in my aquarium and when I change my tank water I use my houses towels to clean up water. It worries me that some snail eggs could get onto my towels and hatch if this is even possible. Is this possible and if so how can I keep it from happening. I have also sucked up many snails with the gravel vac which is a sink to tank, and it worries me that snails could reproduce in my septic tank. Is this possible?
 
What makes you think you need to change the sponge?
You shouldnt need to if youve only had it afew months. If its stopping the filter working properly try rinsing it gently in a bucket of tank water but not too much!

When adding a new filter you should run both while the new one is seeding.

What makes you think your tank isnt cycled, what are your water parameters?
 
What makes you think your tank isnt cycled, what are your water parameters?
I am not sure of the exact levels, but the last time I checked (this past weekend) for nitrites there were none and the ammonia was high. I got this tank at the beginning of January and I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. It does worry that the water changes could be causing it to not cycle. I change the water/vac the gravel a good few times a week (2 times a day at the same time). I have 3 fish a balloon molly, a common pleco, and a cory cat.
 
Its probably not you doing things wrong, an uncycled is harder to maintain so its advised you do it before adding fish. Have you lost any fish? 10 gallons is a small tank and therefore the water fouls quickly. You just have to keep up on your water changes which is the upside to a smaller tank. 10gallons is easy to change.

Do you have a water testing kit? If not try and get one when you can. Theyre needed period but even more when cycling. Id suggest daily changes of 50% maybe even twice a day 40% until you can get a test kit.
 
Its probably not you doing things wrong, an uncycled is harder to maintain so its advised you do it before adding fish. Have you lost any fish? 10 gallons is a small tank and therefore the water fouls quickly. You just have to keep up on your water changes which is the upside to a smaller tank. 10gallons is easy to change.

Do you have a water testing kit? If not try and get one when you can. Theyre needed period but even more when cycling. Id suggest daily changes of 50% maybe even twice a day 40% until you can get a test kit.

Yea thanks, I do have a test kit (API Freshwater Master Test Kit). Also I have lost 13 fish :sorry: : 3 fancy guppies, 1 balloon molly, 1 angelfish, 1 albino cory cat, 6 neon tetras, and 1 regular molly. I know i'm crazy for killing so many. My biology teacher picks on me because I have killed so many, she says I need to have pet rocks and plastic seaweed.
 
Yea thanks, I do have a test kit (API Freshwater Master Test Kit). Also I have lost 13 fish :sorry: : 3 fancy guppies, 1 balloon molly, 1 angelfish, 1 albino cory cat, 6 neon tetras, and 1 regular molly. I know i'm crazy for killing so many. My biology teacher picks on me because I have killed so many, she says I need to have pet rocks and plastic seaweed.

Well it could of been prevented but its happend now, you just need change change change water. You should be using that ammo testing kit regularly, when you see ammonia above 0.5-1 ppm you should be changing out water.
 
16 fish in a 10 gallon seems like overpopulation to me. Also, the common plecos get much too large for a 10 gallon. But if you overpopulate the tank, then your bio-environment can't break down the ammonia from so much fish waste.
 
16 fish in a 10 gallon seems like overpopulation to me. Also, the common plecos get much too large for a 10 gallon. But if you overpopulate the tank, then your bio-environment can't break down the ammonia from so much fish waste.
Sorry, I didn't have the fish in all at the same time I did have it over populated when I first bought the tank(2 balloon mollies, a common pleco, and 3 guppies). Then I bought an angel which my pleco sucked :(. Then I bought another balloon molly which didn't survive the night. Next was the cory, then the tetras, and then the molly. This was over the past 2 months. Now all I have is my pleco, balloon molly, and cory. Also, yeah my pleco is getting big. Thanks for the info!:)
 
Well it could of been prevented but its happend now, you just need change change change water. You should be using that ammo testing kit regularly, when you see ammonia above 0.5-1 ppm you should be changing out water.
Okay and thanks!
:thanks:
 
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