when is time to change filter media?

[alivenwell82]

hey. have had my ten-gallon planted up for six weeks. my levels are fine: 0, 0 and 5-10. when should i change my filter cartridge? should i? i'm concerned i'll hurt the biological filter if i just throw a clean one in.

[Bhunsucker]

If you are running the Penguin 100 you want have to be worried about loosing the biological media. The bio should hold in the bio-wheels. So there shouldnt be any issues with changing out the media.

[Fishyfanatic]

Bhunsucker is right. If there is a sponge in the front or a bio-wheel, you don't have to worry about losing the bacteria. I change my cartridge out whenever the filter starts to backup or it falls apart.

[greenmaji]

If its a heathy heavily planted tank you really dont need to worry about your bacteria, the plants will be outcompeting the bacteria for ammonia anyway...

[Bubble_B0y]

Originally Posted by alivenwell82

hey. have had my ten-gallon planted up for six weeks. my levels are fine: 0, 0 and 5-10. when should i change my filter cartridge? should i? i'm concerned i'll hurt the biological filter if i just throw a clean one in.

you are FINE !!

you should change the filter BASED ON your readings.
Just keep an eye on your nitrate... and change your filter/water when your nitrate gets a little high, or if you detect ammonia (although this should NEVER happen).

so yes, base your maintenance around your readings.

You mentioned you had a filter cartridge, if its a sponge...NEVER throw it away
ONLY rinse/squeeze/wash it in 'old' aquarium water (the water you remove from the tank during a water change).

Also, NEVER change the water & filter catridge on the same week.
ALTERNATE !!!

if you don't have a sponge...but have filter media e.g. filter floss.
you can throw this away when it gets blocked or your detect ammonia (should NEVER happen) or have too high nitrate !!
but again, do NOT change it on the same week as a water change.


another thing....
I said above you should do tank maintenance based around your readings.
So basically, if after a few weeks, you still have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, a <80 nitrate.
You don't need to do anything !!! just replace the evaporated water !!


hope that helps

[krap101]

theres enough bacteria in your gravel/sand 2

um, bubbleboy, you are saying change filter media only when high nitrate, or ammonia levels are detected, just wanted to add, you should NEVER detect ammonia in an established aquarium, and if you do, you have a major problem. Also, if its like a sponge or something, yeah it can be rinsed and reused untill it falls apart, but Activated Carbon is really not useful over a month anyway. It loses its ability to absorb toxins and needs to be changed before you have ammonia or nitrate. If you have one of those like bag like sponge looking filters with the [acronym:692e27708a="Activated Carbon"]AC[/acronym:692e27708a] in it, you can open it and just replace the activated carbon and rinse the bag/sponge. [acronym:692e27708a="Hope this helps (or) Happy to help"]HTH[/acronym:692e27708a]

[Fishyfanatic]

a <80 nitrate.

Also, nitrates shouldn't get to 80. They should never be above 30.

[greenmaji]

If you need [acronym:b61224b420="Activated Carbon"]AC[/acronym:b61224b420] for some reason like removing tamins from driftwood or bogwood or removing medications from the water you would need to replace your filter cartrage every week untill you were done... otherwise you can rince the filter cartrage out in some of the aquarium water in a ziplock type bag and stick it back in the fitler, untill the floss pads start getting gunked up too quickly then its time to replace the pad.. [acronym:b61224b420="Hope this helps (or) Happy to help"]HTH[/acronym:b61224b420]