Filter Cartridge change

[dufreneh]

Sorry but I have a Newbie question.
I have a 20 gal tank that I set up about a month ago. I noticed in the last week that the water has gotten slightly cloudy with a yellowish tint. The filter cartridge in the HOB filter seems a bit dirty. Is it OK to change the cartridge or is it better to leave it in and do a water change.

I am intending for this to be a QT for a 90 gal that I am currently setting up. I wasn't ready to put fish in it just yet but wifey surprised me one day with two fish, a Clown and Copperband Butterfly. So far it's been 9 days and they seem to be doing OK. I'm just trying to head off a potential problem.
Thanks for any help.

 

[jackdp]

I would do a water change, 10-20% and then once you have siphoned out the water, rinse the filter cartridge in the old water. Depending on the particular filter and how it is changed it may be okay to just change the whole thing. You just don't want to remove too many of the beneficial bacteria from the filtration at once or you could have an ammonia spike.

 

[malkore]

chances are that the carbon in the filter is spent. this is why I strongly dislike 'cartridge' based filters. Give me an aquaclear, with a normal sponge and a bag of carbon any day!

anyhow, Jackdp's advice is solid. I would only add that you can cut open the cartridge, empty the spent carbon, and then rinse some new carbon and pour it back in.
Use a clean rubber band or a cable tie to secure the cut part back on.
that should help with the yellowness.

Although, I"ve read that synthetic sea water tends ot yellow after a while. carbon and water changes help fix it.

 

[lando]

What type of filer is it? Agree with Jack, do a water change, rinse the filter in the tank water and replace it. Replacing the GAC will also help with clarity. What are your current water parameters?

 

[dufreneh]

Thanks for all the help. I have a Top Fin Power Filter. I'll perform these suggestions tonight and see what happens. I'll also get those params.

A friend of mine kindly gave me a 90 gal tank and stand. I will be setting this tank up over the next couple of months. I'll also have a web link with pics of my progress soon. It's funny that Malkore mentioned an Aquaclear because my friend also gave me an Aquaclear 300 filter. I think I will mount this filter on my QT.

 

[dufreneh]

Well, I did a 10 percent water change. I also mounted the Aquaclear 300 on the back of the tank. I'm running both filters until the Aquaclear matures. I realize this is more filter than what this tank needs but, hey, it was free and the Topfin was undersized.

Water params showed everything normal except for high Nitrites. I don't know if the tank is still cycling or I just didn't have enough filtering capacity. I'll be monitoring the water and fish closely for the next couple of days. The water does look a little clearer 12 hours later though.

Thanks. This is a great source for info.